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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Insth^ite  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microrepreductions  historiques 


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1981 


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Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
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D 


D 


□ 


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Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommag^e 

□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculde 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 

D 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  hi'ack)/ 
ere  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


Coloured  inlates  and/or  illustrations/ 
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Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  inJiqu^  ci-dessous. 


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14X 

18X 

22X 

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shall  contain  the  svirbol  — »-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  {meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

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entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microficho,  selon  le 
cas:  !e  symbole  — ♦-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

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fiim4s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  saul  cliche,  i^  est  film6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1  2  3 

4  5  6 


THE   HISTORY 


OF 


ILLINOIS  AND  LOUISIANA 


UNDER  THE  FRENCH   RULE 


EMBRACING    A    GENERAL   VIEW    OF 


THE   FRENCH    DOMINION    IN    NORTH  AMERICA 


WITH    SOME    ACCOUNT   OF   THE 


ENGLISH   OCCUPATION  OF  ILLINOIS 


BY 


JOSEPH   WALLACE 

Counselor  at  Law 
Author  of  "  Life  of  Colonel  Edward  D.  nuker,"  etc 


History  recommends  itself  as  the  most  profitable  of  .Indies  -T    Cari. 


VLR 


CINCINNATI 

ROBERT  CLARKE  .^   CO 

1S93 


>^  1 


2413 


|,jALLf\cGp' 


('OPYRIOIIT,  1S9H, 

BY   JOSEPH   WALLACE. 


f 


PREFACE. 


•'No  pericxl  in  the  history  of  one's  own  country,"  says 
an  elt  gant  historian,*  "  can  be  considered  altogetlier  unin- 
teresting. Sucli  transactions  as  tend  to  illustrate  the  pro- 
gress of  ittj  constitution^  laws  or  manners,  merit  the  utmost 
ivttention.  Even  remote  and  minute  events  are  objects  of 
a  curiosity,  wliich,  being  natural  to  the  human  mind,  the 
gratification  of  it  is  attended  with  pleasure." 

With  this  conception  of  the  interest  and  utility  of  his 
work,  the  author  undertook  to  compose  the  following 
history.  Much  has  been  written  and  printed  at  different 
times  (in  State,  county  and  general  histones),  respecting 
the  French  in  Illinois  and  Louisiana,  but  it  is  mostly  in  an 
abridged  or  detached  form,  and  one  rarely  finds  any  con- 
nected and  consecutive  view  of  the  French  domination, 
from  its  commencement  to  its  close.  Although  the  territory 
compnsed  within  the  limits  of  the  present  State  of  Illinois 
was  ruled  by  France  for  ninety  years,  it  was  never  as  a 
separate  colony  or  province,  but  always  as  a  dej)en(len{'y 
of  either  Canada  or  Louisiana.  Ilencc,  no  history  of  Illi- 
nois, during  that  early  period,  can  be  considered  complete, 
which  does  not  embrace  that  of  the  Province  of  Louisiaiui, 
of  which  it  so  long  formed  a  part. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  volume  the  writer,  without 
laying  claim  to  what  scholars  cull  origiuul  research,  has  ex- 


*  Robertson. 


(iii) 


IV 


Preface. 


1 !'' 


amined  every  available  source  of  information  relating  to 
his  theme,  so  as  to  verify  facts,  reconcile  or  explain  con- 
flicting dates  and  accounts,  and  render  it  as  accurate  and 
trustworthy  as  possible.  No  parade  need  here  be  made  of 
the  various  authorities  consulted  and  freely  used  by  him, 
since  they  will  be  disclosed  in  the  progress  of  the  narrative 
itself. 

In  writing  Indian,  French  and  Spanish  proper  names, 
the  author  has,  as  a  rule,  conformed  to  the  received  or- 
thography, though  it  is  not  always  easy  to  determine  just 
what  that  is,  since  standard  writers  still  differ  considerably 
in  this  particular.  Among  the  early  annalists  there  was  no 
recognized  rule,  nor  could  well  have  been  any,  in  regard  to 
nomenclature,  and  therefore  each  writer  was  a  law  unto 
himself.  This,  together  with  the  different  geographical 
locations  often  assigned  by  them  to  the  same  aboriginal 
tribes,  gave  rise  to  more  or  less  contradiction  in  their  nar- 
ratives, which  have  been  a  source  of  perplexity  to  mod- 
ern historiographers. 

Although  this  work  is  primarily  confined  to  the  doings 
of  the  French  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  yet  such  a  general 
view  is  taken  of  their  transactions  in  other  parts  of  the 
continent  as  to  render  it,  in  some  measure,  a  corapendious 
history  of  the  French  Dominion  in  North  Amei'ica. 
Without  overlooking  any  important  or  familiar  fact, 
the  author  has  introduced  much  matter  that  will  be 
new  and  curious  to  the  general  reader.  In  gleaning 
so  wide  a  field,  and  in  carrying  the  book  through  the 
press  at  a  distance  from  his  residence,  he  may  have 
fallen  into  some  errors  and  inaccuracies,  but  it  is  believed 
these  will  be  found  few  in  number  and  restricted  to  minor 
details.  ^ 

It  might  be  thought  superfluous,  at  this  time  and  place, 


Preface.  v 

to  descant  upon  the  absorbing  interest  that  must  ever  at- 
tach to  that  pristine  period  of  American  history  of  which 
we  ^vrifce,  hackneyed  as  it  is.  But  the  new  and  Strang^}  ex- 
periences of  the  early  explorers  and  colonizers  of  this  con- 
tinent can  never  be  repeated,  and  the  record  they  made 
will  stand  unchanged  for  all  future  time.  The  Indians,  too, 
who  then  peopled  the  sohtudes  of  our  forests  and  prairies, 
have  vanished  never  more  to  return,  leaving  behind  them, 
as  the  only  enduring  vestiges  of  their  presence,  the  names 
which  they  gave  to  the  physical  features  of  the  country. 

"  Their  names  remain,  but  they  arc  fled, 
For  ever  numbered  with  the  dead." 

There  are  now  no  other  new  continents  or  large  islands 
to  be  discovered ;  all  the  habitable  globe  has  been  overrun  ; 
and  henceforth  the  business  of  civilized  man  upon  it  will 
be  to  possess,  enjoy,  cultivate  and  develop  its  marvelous  re- 
sources. 

To  the  descendants  of  the  pioneer  French  colonists  in 
North  America,  and  particularly  to  those  residing  within 
the  great  Basin  of  the  Mississippi,  the  theme  of  this  gen- 
eral narrative  must  have  a  peculiar  and  perennial  attraction. 
In  the  daring  and  memorable  achievements  of  their  heroic 
predecessors,  they  may  not  only  cherish  a  just  and  lauda- 
ble pride,  but  find  solace  and  satisfaction  for  that  inscruta- 
ble decree  of  fate,  or  Providence,  whereby  this  vast,  most 
fertile  and  favored  region,  was  wrested  from  their  grasp  to 
ultimately  become  the  geographical  center  of  one  of  the 
mightiest,  most  enlightened  and  progressive  empires  on  the 
face  of  the  earth. 

In  concluding  theee  prefatory  observations,  it  re- 
mains for  the  writer  to  acknowledge  his  obligations,  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  laborious  researches,  to  the  repeated 
kind  offices  of  the  intelligent  and  efficient  librarian  of  the 


VI 


Preface. 


II  ( 


! 
ill 


Illinois  (State)  Historical  Library,  and  also  to  the  assistant 
librarian  of  the  State  Library. 

The  copious  and  comprehensive  index  at  the  close  of 
the  work  will  be  found  very  convenient  for  reference,  and 
not  without  occasional  use  in  elucidating  the  text  of  the 
history. 

Sprinofifld,  Illinois,  September,  1893. 


Pre 


s    •    i 

<  I 

i       1 


Inti 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

Preface 

Ill 

CHAPTER  I. 
1497-1690. 
Introductoby  Narrative;  or,  Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Can- 

ADA 

CHAPTER  II. 

1539-1671. 

Discovery  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  of  the  Norte-wbst.  ...    24 

CHAPTER  III. 

Iv3r?-1675. 

The  Great  River  Voyage  of  Joliet  and  Marquette 45 

CHAPTER  IV. 

1666-1680. 

La  Salle  and  his  Early  Explorations yj 

CHAPTER  V. 
1675-1701. 

Father  Louis  Hennepin 

■■"•••• 96 

CHAPTER  VI. 

"    •  1680-1681. 

La  Salle  and  Tonty 

••......  115 

_             CHAPTER  VII.             :     ' 
1681-1683. 
La  Salle's  Exploits  Continued ^  _  ,„q 


mm 


'* 


1 

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1 

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I'-  li 


^11  Contents. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

1684-1687. 

Last  Great  Enterprise  of  La  Sallk 153 

CHAPTER  IX. 
1687-1689. 
.  Survivors  of  La  Salle's  Texan  Colony 175 

CHAPTER  X. 

1689-1712. 
Illinois  as  a  Dependency  of  Canada I94 

CHAPTER  XI. 

1698-1711. 

Permanent  Settlement  of  Lower  Louisiana 212 

CHAPTER  XII. 

1712-1717. 

Louisiana  under  M.  Crozat— Demise  of  Louis  XIV 233 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

1717-1723.  ^ 

French  Finances,  and  Law's  Mississippi  Company 249 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

1718-1732. 

Lieutenant  Boisbriant's  Rule  in  the  Illinois  — The  Natchez 
War 270 

CHAPTER  XV. 

1732-1752. 

Louisiana  Under  the  Direct  Government  of  the  Crown 288 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

1742-1756. 

Progress  of  Events  in  the  Dependency  of  Illinois 304 


Contents.  ix 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

1753-1760. 

The  Mi.JOKABLE  Seven  Years'  War 319 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

1760-1765. 
Indian  Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac 342 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

1764-1769. 
Occurrences  in  Lower  Louisiana 363,, 

CHAPTER  XX. 

1764-1778. 
Illinois  under  the  British  Domination .' 384 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
General  Description  op  the  French  Colonists 404 


Hi!' 


M 


•i\ 


I 

t 


HISTORY 

OF 

ILLINOIS  AND  LOUISIANA  UNDER  THE  FRENCH  RULE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

i 

1497-1690. 

INTRODUCTORY    NARRATIVE  ;    OR    DISCOVERY    AND    SSTTLEMENT  OF 

CANADA. 

The  first  Europeans  to  roach  the  shores  of  America 
were  the  Northmen,  or  Scandinavians,  who,  during  the 
early  *niddh.'  ages,  formed  settlements  in  Iceland  and 
southern  Greenland.  Thos^e  hardy  and  daring  sea-rovers 
grac  ady  extended  tiieir  voyages  westward  from  Green- 
land to  the  coasts  of  Labrador  and  Newfoundland,  and,  by 
the  beginning  of  the  eleveutli  century,  appear  to  have  es- 
tablished themselves  on  the  rocky  shores  of  New  England, 
about  Massachusetts  and  Narraganset  bays. 

They  named  the  new  country  Winland,  or  Vinland, 
from  the  profusion  of  wild  grapes  found  growing  in  its 
virgin  forests.  But  the  Northmen  ettected  no  lai'ge  or  du- 
rable settlements  upon  this  (tontinent;  and  when  their 
colony  of  Vinland  was  eventually  abandoned,  or  extermin- 
ated by  lu^  ii'itives,  it  was,  doubtless,  soon  forgotten.  The 
only  remaining  traces  of  their  presence  on  the  New  Eng- 
land coast  are  two  or  three  ;iide  monuments,*  aud  a  few 
doubtful  Runic  inscriptions.  The  fact  of  their  prima,  dis- 
Y  covery  of  the  continent,  liovvever,  is  attested  by  the  Sagas, 
or  ancient  histoiical  records  of  Iceland. 

But  the  time  was  not  then  ripe  for  the  opening  of  the 


"  Notably,  the  old  stone  tower  at  Newport,  Rhode  laland,  which  in 
believed  to  be  a  relic  of  the  Northmen. 


Early  Voyages  to  North  America. 


!l 


New  World  to  European  colonization  and  civilization ;  nor 
were  the  people  of  western  Europe  sufficiently  advanced  in 
wealth,  intelligence  and  nautical  science,  to  profit  by  so  im- 
portant a  discovery. 

To  Cristoforo  Colombo  (Christopher  Columbus),  must 
ever  be  accorded  tlie  imperishable  honor,  of  ha.ning  made 
known  to  the  nations  of  the  Old  World  the  pathway  to  the 
Western  Ileniisphere  ;  yet  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  lie 
ever  touched  the  continent  of  North  America,  and  he  died 
in  ignorance  of  the  extent  and  transcendent  value  of  his 
achievement. 

But  tlie  true  and  lasting  discovery  of  Northern  Amer- 
ica was  made  by  Giovanni  Caboto  (John  Cabot),  a  Vene- 
tian navigator,  who  had  become  domiciled  in  the  com- 
mercial city  of  Bristol,  England,  prior  to  the  year  1493, 
and  who  afterward  voyaged  the  North  Atlantic  under 
the  patronage  of  King  ITenry  VII.  It  is  a  singular 
fact,  and  worthy  of  remark  here,  that  the  maritime  powers 
of  Europe,  with  the  exception,  perliaps,  of  Portugal,  should 
have  owed  their  early  possessions  in  America  to  the  skill 
and  daring  of  Italian  navigators,  although  not  u  single 
American  colony  was  ever  establislied  by  the  Italians  tliem- 
selves. 

Within  one  or  two  years  after  the  return  of  Columbus 
to  Spain,  from  his  first  renowned  vo}^age  of  discovery,  the 
adventurous  spirit  of  John  Cabot  induced  him  to  propose 
to  Henry  VII.,  of  England,  to  undertake  a  similar  voyage, 
with  tlie  two-fold  object  of  discovering  new  lands,  and  ol 
finding  a  northwest  passage  to  the  Indias.  The  proi)osal 
of  the  V^enetian  was  received  with  favor  a. id  encourage- 
ment by  that  cautious,  yet  sagacious  monarch.  And  on 
the  fifth  of  March,  149G,  he  issued  a  commission  to  Cabot 
and  his  three  sons  (Louis,  Sebastian  and  Sanchez),  author- 
izing them  to  "  sail  to  all  parts  of  the  east,  west,  and  north, 
to  discover  countries  of  the  Heathen,  unknown  to 
Cliristians ;  to  set  up  the  king's  ensigns  there;  to  occupy 
and  possess,  as  his  subjects,  such  places  as  they  eould  sub- 
due, giving  them  the  rule  and  jurisdiction — to  be  holden, 
on  paying  to  the  king,  one-fiftli  part  of  tlieir  gains." 


Early  Voyages  to  North  America. 


8 


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l)\vn    to 

occnpy 
^ild  Huh- 

holdon, 


Under  this  broad  commission  three  ships  were  at  length 
equipped  for  the  enterprise — partly  at  the  expense  of  his 
majesty,  and  the  remainder  by  private  persons.  With 
these  vessels,  manned  by  some  three  hundred  seamen,  the 
elder  Cabot,  and  his  son  Sebastian,  sailed  from  Bristol., 
in  May,  1497.  Taking  a  westerly  course  over  the  track- 
lers  ocean,  the  bold  conmiander,  on  the  24th  of  June, 
sighted  a  shore  which  he  named  Terra  Primum  Visa  (land 
first  seen),  and  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  pome  part 
of  Newfoundland.  lie  thence  steered  northward,  parallel 
with  the  coast  of  Labrador,  as  far  as  to  the  entrance  of 
Hudson's  strait,  when  he  was  obliged  to  turn  back  on  ac- 
count of  the  ice  and  the  increasing  discontent  of  his  crew. 
After  discovering  many  islands  and  coasting  the  mainland 
southward  to  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Ilattoras,  a  mutiny  is 
said  to  have  broken  out  among  his  sailors,  in  consequence 
of  which  he  returned  to  England.  During  the  ensuing 
year  (1498),  Sebastian  Cabot  was  sent  out  with  two  sliips, 
on  a  second  voyage  of  discovery.  He  again  visited  New- 
foundland, and  other  [)oints  on  the  eastern  coast  of  North 
America,  but  did  not  attem})t  any  conquest  or  settlement 
of  the  country.  No  authentic  journal  of  these  two  voya- 
ges was  ever  published,  nor  were  they  soon  followed  up  by 
other  like  enterprises  on  the  part  of  the  English  govern- 
ment or  peoj)le.  Yet,  it  was  upon  the  discoveries  of  the 
Cabots,  and  the  subsequent  attempts  at  colonization  un<ler 
the  auspices  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  (1584-1587),  that  Eng- 
hind  based  her  title  to  the  jn'^ncipal  part  of  the  immense 
tcrritoi-y  which  she  afterward  accjuired  in  North  America. 

The  Portuguese  were  the  next  to  engage  in  this  inviting 
niaritime  enterprise.  In  1500,  one  Caspar  de  Cortereal  sailed 
from  Lisbon  with  two  well-ma!)ned  caravels,  lie  visited  Lab- 
rador, ranged  along  its  inhosjtitable  coast  for  six  hundred 
miles,  and  entered  the  (ilulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  Returning 
tlie  same  year  to  Tortugal,  he  set  sail  on  a  second  voyage 
of  discovery  in  May,  1501,  but  was  never  again  heard  of. 
His  brother  Michael  sailed  with  two  ships  in  search  of  him, 

It  is  conjectured  that  both 
ews  fell  victinifl  to  the  savage 


i     .;i 


i:ii! 


4  Early  Voyages  to  North  America, 

vengeance  of  the  natives  of  Labrador,  some  of  whom  had 
been  seized  and  carried  oft*  as  slaves  by  Gaspar  de  Cortereal, 
in  his  first  voyage.  Upon  the  strength  of  these  northwest- 
ern voyages,  however,  the  Portuguese  set  up  a  claim  to  the 
discovery  of  the  whole  continent. 

The  business  of  oceanic  discovery  in  this  part  of  the 
New  World,  was  afterward  taken  up  by  the  French  gov- 
ernment. During  the  active  reign  of  Francis  I.,  an  expe- 
dition was  fitted  out,  the  command  of  which  was  given  to 
Juan  Verrazano,  or  Verrazani,  a  Florentine  navigator  of 
great  skill,  who  liad  signalized  himself  by  his  successful 
cruises  against  the  Spaniards.  lie  sailed  from  France  in 
Jaimary,  1524,  with  four  vessels,  but  three  of  them  be- 
coming disabled  in  a  storm,  he  completed  the  voyage  in  a 
single  shi}).  After  touching  at  the  Maderia  Islands,  he 
held  a  due  westerly  course,  and  encountered  heavy  seas, 
b)it  at  length  sighted  land  on  the  7th  of  March,  in  the  lati- 
tude of  North  Carolina.  Finding  no  secure  harbor,  he 
anchored  in  the  open  sea,  and  sent  his  boats  ashore  to 
open  trafiic  with  the  natives.  lie  next  sailed  southward 
some  distance,  and  tlieii  turned  his  course  to  the  north,  ex- 
ploring the  eastern  coast  of  the  continent  for  six  hundred 
leagues,  and  naming  it  New  Frunce,  in  compliment  to  his 
royal  [)atron.  When  he  reached  the  fog-laden  banks  ot 
Newfoundland,  liis  provisions  began  to  fail,  and  he  boie 
away  for  home,  whither  he  arrived  late  in  July,  1524.  Of 
the  subsequent  career  of  Verrazano,  but  little  is  known. 

It  was  not  until  the  lapt?b  of  ten  years  that  the  French 
renewed  these  hazardous  enterprises ;  when  Jacques  Car- 
tier,  or  Quartier,  a  bohl  and  exi)orienced  nuiriner  of  St. 
Malo,  in  lirittany,  having  proposed  another  expedition, 
was  Hup})lied  by  the  vice-admiral  of  the  king  with  two 
ships  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  seamen.  Cartier  put  to 
sea  from  the  port  of  St.  Malo,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1534, 
and  after  four  weeks  of  successful  mivigation  reached  the 
eastern  Hhore  of  Newfounvlland,  whicli,  thougli  visited  by 
fishermen,  was  still  for  the  most  i)art  a  terra,  ivcoqnita.  He 
sailed  nearly  all  round  that  groat  islnnd,  coasted  the  main- 
land for  a  long  distance,  discovered  nnd  named  the  Golfc 


Carder's  Voyages  and  Discoveries. 


5 


i 


de  St.  Lorent,  or  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  entered  the 
Bay  of  Chaleurs.  But  by  this  time  the  season  was  well 
advanced,  and  our  navigator  returned  with  his  ships  to 
France,  without  having  ascended  the  St.  Lawrence  River, 
or  even  knowing  that  it  was  a  river.  He  opened  trade  re- 
lations with  the  natives  of  the  country,  and  carried  home 
witli  him  two  young  Indians,  who  afterward  served  a  use- 
ful purpose  as  interpreters. 

The  degree  of  success  that  attended  this  initial  voyage 
encouraged  the  French  monarch  to  further  effort  in  the 
field  of  trans- Atlantic  discovery.  Three  ships  were  now 
fitted  out  for  a  second  expedition,  which  was  joined  by  some 
of  the  young  nobility,  and  Cartier  was  given  the  command 
thereof,  with  the  designation  of  "  captain  and  pilot  to  the 
king."  On  the  19th  of  May,  1535,  after  a  solemn  mass  at 
the  cathedral  in  St.  Malo,  the  three  vessels  put  to  sea,  but 
were  soon  separated  by  a  temi)est.  After  a  boisterous  and 
tedious  passage  they  all  arrived  safely  in  the  vStrait  of  Belle 
Isle,  to  the  north  of  Newfoundland,  in  the  last  week  of  .hily. 
From  this  point  of  rendezvous  the  captain  took  a  south- 
westerly course,  and,  having  navigated  the  channel  between 
the  south  coast  of  Labrador  and  the  large  island  of  Anti- 
costi,  sailed  slowly  up  that  long  and  broad  estuary,  afterward 
named  St.  Lawrence.  By  the  1st  of  September  he  reached 
the  mouth  of  the  Chicoutimi,  orSaguenay,  coming  in  from 
the  northwest ;  and  on  the  14th,  after  passing  several  low 
islands,  including  that  of  Orleans,  dropped  anchor  near  the 
entrance  of  a  small  river  on  his  right,  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  of  St.  Croix,  now  St.  Charles. 

This  was  immediately  below  that  bold  and  striking 
promontory  which  rises  in  the  angle  formed  by  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  two  rivers,  and  which  the  natives  of  the  country 
called  Quelibec  (Quebec),  from  the  sudden  contraction  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  at  that  point.  While  anchored  in  the  river 
opposite  the  present  village  of 'Beauport,  Cartier  was  visited 
on  shipboard  by  one  Donnacona,  a  neighboring  Indian  po- 
tentate, who  resided  at  the  village  of  Stadacona,  on  the 
peninsula  of  that  name,  and  wlio  came  with  a  numerous 


Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Canada. 


I  !  "iilii 


1 


!  1 :  ■ 

hi:!  I 


retinue  of  his  braves  in  pirogues.'^  The  French  captain  re- 
ceived his  copper-colored  visitors  with  due  formality,  and 
held  converse  with  them  through  the  two  interpreters  from 
the  coast  of  Gaspe,  whom  he  had  taken  with  him  to  France 
in  his  voyage  of  the  year  before. 

Having  moored  his  two  larger  vessels  inside  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  Croix,  our  brave  and  determined  mariner,  contrary 
to  the  entieaty  of  Donnacona  not  to  go  further,  continued 
his  voyage  in  the  third  vessel  up  the  St.  Lawrence.  Ar- 
rived in  that  expansion  of  the  river  since  known  as  Lake 
St.  Peter,  and  Hnding  the  further  advance  of  his  ship  im- 
peded by  obstructions  in  the  channel,  he  quit  it  and  pro- 
ceeded in  a  l)oat,  rowed  by  three  of  his  men.  On  the  2d 
of  October  he  reached  the  Lidian  village  of  Hochelaga,t 
situate  on  the  island  of  that  name,  which  he  denominated 
Mont.  Hoyal  (Montreal),  from  the  insulated  mountain  that 
rises  from  the  plain  two  miles  behind  it.  After  spending 
a  few  days  at  Iloclielaga,  and  opening  an  amicable  inter- 
course with  the  inhabitants  of  the  place,  Cartier  returned  to 
his  ship,  and  descending  the  river  rejoined  his  other  ships 
at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croix.  Here,  at  the  foot  of  the  rug- 
ged promontory  of  Quebec,  his  sailors  had  already  begun 
the  erection  of  a  temporary  wooden  structure,  which  was 
soon  finished,  and  in  which  they  passed  the  ensuing  winter 
months,  suffering  greatly,  not  only  from  the  rigor  of  the 
climate,  but  from  the  ravages  of  the  scurvy.  Twenty-five 
men  died  before  the  opening  of  spring,  and  out  of  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  then  remaining  very  few  were  free  from  that 
disease.  J 

Before  sailing  on  his  return  to  France,  Cartier, accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  navigators  in  that  age,  took  possession 
of  the  country  of  the  St.  Lawrence  in  the  name  ofhissove- 


*  Pirogue  (Sp.  Piragua),  originally  an  Indian  word,  signifying  a  dug- 
out canoe. 

tThia  was  also  the  original  Indian  name  of  the  Wt.  Lawrence,  and 
the  French  sometimes  spoke  of  it  as  the  Grand  fleuve  de  Hochelaga. 

t  Upon  the  site  of  the  temporary  struoture  occupied  by  Cartier  and 
his  men  was  long  afterward  built  the  church  of  Notre  Dame  den  Vir.toi.ren, 
which  fronts  the  market  plaoe  in  the  Lower  Town  of  Quebec. 


of  hi 

neig] 

Croij 

the  ir 

a  fort 

comi 

Ln  th 

IIocl 

iiaviij 

''  .^u 

long  ( 

'^H 

and  j 

lengt 

set  SI 

with 

avoid 

But,  t 

Cana( 

;■        *T 

Huron 

to  Cart 

' 

Cartier's  Voyages  and  Discoveries,  T 

veUm,  by  erecting  a  high  wooden  cross  bearing  the  arms 
of  France,  with  this  Latin  inscription,  Franciscus  primus, 
Dei  gratia  Francorum  rex,  regna.  Leaving  one  ^^f  his  ships 
that  had  been  shattered  by  the  ice  in  the  little  liarbor  of 
the  St.  Croix,  he  sailed  for  home  with  the  other  two  on  the 
6th  of  May,  1536,  and  arrived  at  St.  Malo  on  the  16th  of 
July.  During  the  preceding  winter  Cartier's  friendship 
with  Donnacona  had  become  strained,  and  on  his  departure 
he  took  with  him  that  chief  and  several  of  his  braves,  whose 
persons  he  had  seized  partly  by  force  and  partly  by  strata- 
gem, and  who  subsequently  died  in  captivity  in  France. 

Some  five  years  later,  a  scheme  of  regular  colonization 
was  devised  by  the  French  government,  in  wdiich  Cartier  was 
associated  wich  Jean  Francois  de  la  K()que,SieurdeRoberval, 
who  had  been  commissioned  by  the  crown  lieutenant-general 
and  viceroy  of  his  American  possessions.  Accordingly,  on 
May  1,  1541,  Captain  Cartier  sailed  with  five  ships  on  his 
third  voyage  to  America,  and  arrived  at  his  former  winter 
quarters  on  the  St.  Lawrence  early  in  August.  Sending  two 
of  his  ships  home,  he  proceeded  with  the  rest  to  search  the 
neighboring  shores  for  a  better  haven  than  that  of  the  St. 
Croix,  and  found  one  to  his  liking  nine  miles  above  it,  at 
the  mouth  of  Cape  Rouge  River.  Here  he  landed  and  built 
a  fort  which  he  named  Charlesbourg  Royal,  and  waited  the 
coming  of  his  coadjutor  with  colonists  to  begin  a  settlement. 
In  the  meantime  he  again  ascended  the  St.  Lawrence  to 
Ilochelaga,  and  examined  the  nature  of  the  obstructions  to 
navigation  in  the  river  above  that  place.  Owing  to  the 
long  delay  in  the  arrival  of  Roberval,  and  to  his  impatience 
and  jealousy  of  that  otficer,  who  outranked  him,  Cartier  at 
length  relinquished  tlie  attempt  to  make  a  settlement,  and 
set  sail  on  liis  return  to  France  in  May,  1542.  Meeting 
with  Roberval's  ships  at  the  harbor  of  Newfoundland,  he 
avoided  their  commander  and  held  on  his  homeward  course. 
But,  according  to  Lescarbot's  history,  he  was  sent  back  to 
Canada*  in  the  autumn  of  that  year,  l)y  Xing  Ifenry  XL,  to 

*The  name  of  Canada  is  believed  to  have  been  derived  from  the 
Huron  word  Kan-na-ta,  lueaniiig  a  collection  of  wigwams.  According 
to  Cartier,  it  is  an  Indian  word,  Hignifying  town.     For  ho  wrote:  " //'« 


8 


Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Canada. 


liii! 


I'll 


i  i 


II 
ii 

ii 


i 

llliill 


bring  home  Roberval  and  his  colony.  They  appear  to  have 
wintered  together  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
finally  quitted  it  in  June,  1543. 

Captain  Cartier's  services  as  a  navigator  and  discoverer 
were  recompensed  by  a  patent  of  nobility,  and  also  by  a 
seignorial  mansion  at  the  village  of  Limoilou,  near  St.  Malo. 
The  latter  years  of  his  stirring  life  were  mostly  passed 
at  his  seat  of  Limoilou,  where  he  died  childless  about  anno 
1555,  aged  sixty.  The  printed  journals  of  his  American 
voyages  are  preserved  by  the  Quebec  Historical  Society, 
but  whether  originally  written  by  himself  or  not  is  unde- 
termined. It  is  said  that  he  advised  the  first  French  col- 
onists in  Canada  to  cultivate  the  good  will  of  the  natives 
by  every  means  in  their  power,  and  even  to  form  matri- 
monial alliances  with  them,  in  order  to  advance  their  mate- 
rial interests.  It  is  evident  that  this  last  advice  was  subse- 
quently adopted,  though  with  ephemeral  rather  than  per- 
manent advantage. 

The  discoveries  made  by  Cartier  and  his  associate  mar- 
iners turned  the  attention  of  France  to  the  extensive  Valley 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  its  capabilities,  and  established  he*- 
claim  to  the  country  according  to  that  peculiar  international 
code  by  which  the  maritiijne  powers  of  Europe  were  wont 
to  apportion  among  themselves  the  territories  of  the  West- 
ern World. 

Although  Canada  exhibited  scarcely  any  of  that  smiling 
and  luxuriant  aspect  pertaining  to  the  middle  and  southern 
sections  of  the  continent,  it  opened  into  regions  of  indefinite 
extent,  and  the  tracing  of  its  vast  chain  of  fresh-water  seas 
to  their  distant  fountains  presented  more  than  ordinary  at- 
tractions to  human  curiosity  and  adventure.  But  for  the 
next  sixty  years,  owing  to  internal  dissensions  and  factional 
and  religious  wars,  French  colonization  in  America  was  vir- 
tually abandoned.     / 

It  is  true  that  in  the  years  1562  and  1564,  Admiral  Co- 


1 


appellant  une  lille  Canada."  Another  early  French  authority  makeB 
the  word  mean  terre,  or  land.  The  name  eeems  to  have  been  primarily 
applied  only  to  the  Valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 


The  Huguenots  in  Florida. 


1 


ligiiy  undertook  to  plant  some  Huguenot  colonies  in  East 
Florida;  but  the  two  expeditions  sent  thither  under  the 
separate  leadership  of  Jean  Ribaut  and  Rene  Laudoniere 
ended  in  utter  failure.  After  suffering  deeply  from  ship- 
wreck and  sickness,  their  settlements  at  Port  Royal  and 
near  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's  River  were  attacked  and 
destroyed  by  the  Spaniards  under  the  stern  Don  Pedro  de 
Menendez.*  Ribault  and  his  followers  were  massacred, 
after  a  pledge  of  safety  had  been  given  them,  and  their 
bodies  were  treated  with  tlie  most  shocking  indignities — 
"not,"  it  was  averred,  "because  they  were  Frenchmen, 
but  because  they  were  her  tics  and  enemies  of  God."  Two 
years  later  (1567),  this  barbarous  massacre  was  fully  avenged 
by  a  Huguenot  soldier  named  Dominique  de  Gourgues,  wlio 
sailed  from  Bordeaux  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  armed 
men  for  that  purpose.  Aided  by  some  Florida  Indians,  he 
took  and  demolished  the  little  Spanish  forts  on  the  river 
St.  Johns,  and  hanged  all  of  his  prisoners,  not  because  they 
were  Spaniards,  but  that  they  were  "  traitors,  robbers,  and 
murderers."  After  accomplishing  this  deed  of  savage  re- 
taliation, De  Gourgues  made  no  eftbrt  to  retain  his  conquest? 
or  to  revive  the  French  colony,  but  having  secured  all  that 
was  of  value  at  the  forts,  he  re-embarked  his  troops  and  sailed 
back  to  France.  If  the  efforts  of  the  French  Protestants 
to  form  settlements  in  East  Florida  had  been  countenanced 
and  sustained  by  the  crown,  it  is  believed  that  France  might 
have  had  a  flourishing  colony  there  long  before  England 
effected  a  single  permanent  settlement  in  America. 

We  come  now  tc  describe  the  first  successful  attempts 
of  the  French  to  form  durable  settlements  in  the  cold  and 
inclement  districts  of  New  France.  The  most  conspicuous 
figure  of  his  day  in  these  arduous  aiul  uncertain  enterprises 
was  Samuel  de  Champlain.  Born  at  Brouage,  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Saintonge,  about  the  year  1567,  he  belonged  to  a 
noted  family  of  mariners.  His  fatlier  was  a  sea  captain, 
and  he  himself  was  early  schooled  in  the  art  and  practice 
of  navigation.     After  spending  several  years  in  the  military 


*  Who  founded  St.  Augustine,  Fla.,  in  1505. 


10 


Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Canada. 


ii 


ill 


ii  ; 

•j!   t 

; 

i| 

:;  1 

i 

1  1 

s , 

1 

1 

!    I 

service  of  his  country,  he  went  with  an  uncle,  who  held  a 
high  post  in  the  Spanish  navy,  on  a  long  voyage  to  Mexico. 
Returning  to  France  in  1601,  he  was  urged  by  De  Chastes, 
Governor  of  Dieppe,  to  explore  and  prepare  to  found  a 
colony  in  the  French  possessions  of  North  America,  the 
governor  having  received  a  concession  from  the  king  for 
that  purpose.  This  was  an  undertaking  well  suited  to  the 
enterprising  genius  of  Chaniplain,  and  he  I'/jcordingly  em- 
barked at  Honiieur  on  March  15, 1603,  in  a  ship  commanded 
by  Captain  Pontgrave,  an  experienced  mariner  of  St. 
Malo. 

On  the  24th  of  May,  after  a  rough  and  protracted  pas- 
sage, they  dropped  anchor  at  Tadousac,  where  the  deep  and 
dark  waters  of  the  Saguenay  enter  the  estuary  of  the  St. 
Lawrence.  Leaving  their  large  ship  here,  Pontgrave  and 
Chaniplain,  with  live  seamen,  continued  their  voyage  in  a 
shallop  up  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  rapids,  above  Hochelaga. 
As  they  slowly  retraced  their  course,  Champlain  examined 
and  noted  the  rocky  and  wooded  shores  on  both  sides  of 
the  river  down  to  Tadousac.  He  then  drew  up  a  map  of 
the  country,  collected  information  about  Acadia*  (after- 
ward called  by  the  British  Nova  Scotia),  and  in  the  follow- 
ing autumn  returned  to  France,  where  he  immediately  pub- 
lished a  narrative  of  his  voyage  and  observations,  entitled 
Des  Sa  a  cages. 

Ilis  patron,  De  Chastes,  had  meantime  deceased,  and 
the  exclusive  privileges  that  had  been  granted  to  him  by 
Henry  IV.  were  transferred  to  Pierre  du  Guast,  Sieur  de 
Monts,  a  gentleman  of  Saintonge,  and  an  otHcer  of  the 
king's  household.  Letters-patent  were  issued  to  the  latter 
in  November,  1603,  nominating  him  vice-admiral  and  lieu- 
tenant-general of  his  majesty  in  the  country  of  La  Cadre 
(Acadia),  with  full  and  exclusive  power  to  trade  in  peltries, 
and  to  make  war  and  peace  with  the  natives,  from  the  40th 
to  the  46th  parallel  of  north  latitude ;  also  to  make  grants 
of  land  to  French  settlers.     His  i)atent  embraced  the  whole 


■'This  old  poetic  naino,  writton  Acadie  in  French,  appears  to  be  an 
abbreviation  of  the  Imlian  name  for  one  of  the  rivers  of  that  conntry. 


French  Settlement  of  Acadia. 


n 


it'ter- 
low- 
pub- 
itled 

,  and 
u  y)y 
ir  do 
f  the 
atter 
lieu- 
Ciidie 
tries, 
40th 
rants 
B^hole 

be  an 
[itry. 


^  coast  of  N'ew  Ennjland,  no  part  of  which  had  as  yet  been 
I  occupied  by  the  EngHsh.     The  Sieur  de  Monts  was  a  Cal- 
f  viuist,  and  had  stipulated  for  the  free  exercise  of  his  own 
§fbrm  of  religion,  but  this  W9«  inconsistently  enough  coupled 
I  with  an  agreement  that  the  Indians  of  the  country  should 
ijbe  instructed  in  the  mysteries  of  pure  Catholicism.     Having 
iiresolved  to  plant  an  extensive  colony  in  his  new  domain, 
SDc  Monts  now  engaged  the  active  assistance  of  Champlain 
ijin  his  enterprise.     They  at  once  proceeded  to  hire  and  equip 
^^a  number  of  vessels,  large  and  small,  with  which  they  set 
sail  from  Havre  de  Grace  on  the  7th  of  April,  1604,  carry- 
ing numerous  colonists,  traders,  and  stores.    The  commander 
arrived  with  a  part  of  his  fleet  ott  Sable  Island  in  the  first 
week  of  May,  and  thence  stood  along  the  south  and  western 
Bhores  of  Acadia  for  several  weeks,  being  undecided  where 
to  make  a  permanent  landing.     At  length,  after  exploring 
the  Bay  of  Fundy,  he  determined  to  begin  a  settlement  on 
the  Island  of  Sainte  Croix,  in  Ihe  estuary  of  that  name, 
lying  between  the  present  Maine  and  New  Brunswick.    But 
this  location  proved  unfavorable  from  the  lack  of  builditig 
timber  and  fresh  water,  and  during  the  next  summer  the 
colony  was  removed  across  the  bay  to  a  place  called  Port 
Royal,  now  Annapolis.     When  this  transfer  had  been  ef- 

§fected,  De  Monts  found  it  necessarv  to  return  to  France, 
jjgleaving  Pontgrave  in  charge  of  the  new  settlement.  The 
Scold,  damp,  and  sterile  peninsula  of  Acadia,  or  Nova  Scotia, 
^fulfilled  none  of  those  hopes  of  speedy  wealth  that  had  al- 
;f|hired  the  French  colonists  hither.     It  yielded  with  difficulty 

f^'he  common  necessaries  of  life,  and  the  fur-trade  was  too 
.^  iniited  to  be  profitable.  Its  mineral  resources  long  re- 
trnuiined  unknown. 

In  the  meantime  Champlain  diligently  explored  the 
rock-bound  coast  to  the  southward,  as  far  as  the  sandy  beach 
f  Cape  Cod,  making  surveys  and  charts  of  the  same,  and  in 
607,  re-embarked  for  France.  His  patron,  De  Monts,  was 
ccused  of  abusing  his  ample  commission  by  capturing  and 
onfiscating  all  vessels  that  approached  the  American  coast 
ithiii  the  bounds  of  his  territorial  jurisdiction,  and  of  in- 
lerfering  with  the  rights  and  endangering  the  safety  of  the 


f-.f*. 


liiiill; 


i  ii.'iiiii 
Hi 


lip 

ill    ! 


h 
m 


jil  M  it       \i 


12 


Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Canada, 


cod  fislienneii  on  the  shores  of  Newfoundland.*  Never- 
theless, he  had  sultieient  inHuence  at  court  to  get  his  privi- 
leges renewed  for  a  time,  on  condition  that  his  company 
should  form  an  establishment  on  the  river  St.  Lawrence. 
As  now  reorganized,  the  company  was  composed  principally 
of  mercliants,  who  had  only  the  fur  trade  in  view,  and  this 
led  to  a  change  in  their  plans  and  to  the  gradual  abandon- 
ment «)f  Acadia  as  the  seat  of  their  operations. 

In  pursuance  of  this  change  of  policy,  the  company 
caused  to  be  fitted  out  two  ships  at  Honfleur,  and  confided 
them  to  the  charge  of  Messieurs  Champlain  and  I'ont- 
grave,  with  instructions  to  i)roceed  to  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  tViere  establish  a  trading  post.  They  accordingly 
sailed  in  the  spring  of  1608,  taking  out  with  them  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  soldiers,  traders  and  adventurers  to  form  u 
settlement.  Arriving  in  the  Lower  St.  Lawrence,  about 
the  middle  of  June,  they  first  touched  at  Tadousac,  and 
thence  continued  their  course  up  the  river.  Having  fixed 
u})on  Quebecf  as  the  most  eligible  site  for  the  projected  es- 
tablishment, C^hamjilain  landed  his  company  of  advent- 
urers there  on  July  3,  1608.  This  was  one  year  after  the 
settlement  of  Jamestown,  Va.,  by  the  English,  and  twelve 
years  before  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  on  Plymoutli 
Rock.  The  spot  thus  chosen  was  on  the  north  side  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  River,  just  above  its  junction  with  the  St.  I 
Charles,  and  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  leagues  from  - 
the  sea.  No  sooner  had  the  commander  begun  to  clear  tlie| 
ground  for  a  settlement  here,  than  he  discovered  a  plot 
among  five  of  the  men  to  take  his  life;  but  this  was  hap-| 


*  As  early  as  the  year  1504,  the  fishermen  of  Brittany  and  Nor! 
mandy  legan  to  ply  their  vocation  on  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  and| 
in  1517,  upward  of  fifty  vessels  of  different  nations  are  said  to  have  been^ 
employed  in  it. 

t "  Tlie  Indians  of  the  country  ga^e  to  this  place  the  name  of  Quebio| 
or  Quelibee,  which,  in  Algonquin  and  Abenaqui,  noeans  narrowingyhe-'i 
cause  the  river  St.  Lawrence  here  narrows  till  it  is  only  a  mile  wide:  -| 
whereas,  just  below  the  Me  de  Orleans,  it  still  maintains  a  breadth  of  ,| 
four  or  five  leagues."— C-harlevoix'  Historie  cUi  la  NoHvelle  France.    P]nv4 
glish  translation,  edited  by  John  Gilmary  Shea  (New  York,  1866-18721 
vol,  1.,  p.  50. 


jcure 


[ever- 

privi- 

npany 

renee. 

jipally      • 

id  this 

mdon- 

nipany 
)ntide(i 

Pont- 
vrenee, 
rdingly 
a  suffi- 
form  a 
,  about 
ac,  and 
ig  fixed 
cted  es- 
advent- 
ifterthe   . 

twelve 
ymoutli 
e  of  the 

the  St. 
les  troiu 
dear  tlie 
1  a  plot 
vas  hu]>- 

and  Nor- 
Hand,  and 
la.ve  been 

of  Quebic 
mving,  be- 

nile  wide; 

jreadth  oi 

ance,    En-- 
866-18721, 


Quebec  Founded  by  Champlain. 


13 


pily  frustrated  by  his  vigilance,  and  the  conspirators  were 
]i  dealt  with  by  martial  law. 

Mechanics  and  laborers  were  now  put  to  work,  and  ir. 
the  course  of  a  few  weeks  a  cluster  of  wooden  buildings 
f  arose  on  the  shelving  bank  of  the  river,  under  the  shadow 
^of  that  lofty  precipice,  since   known  as   Cape   Diamond, 
which  towered  above  them.     These  rude  edifices  were  sur- 
:  rou!ided  by  a  stout  palisade  or  wall,  pierced  by  apertures 
for  small  cannon,  and  were  thenceforth  occupied  as  the 
*  headquarters  of  Champlain  and  his  semi-military  colony. 
Such  was  the  inconsiderable  beginning  of  the  historical 
city  and  fortress  of  Quebec.     Having  thus  provided  a  se- 
cure place  for  his  men  and  munitions,  the  resolute  leader 
pushed  out  into  the  circumjacent  country,  with  a  view  to 
making  it  tributary  to  the  French   power.     It  was  from 
about  this  time  that  Canada  and  Acadia  began  to  be  ofli- 
cially  designated  as  Nouvclb'  France,  though  this  ambitious 
appellation  had  been  long  before  applied  to  the  coast  of  the 
country  by  the  navigator  Verrazano. 
f|         In  order  to  secure  the  fi'iendsliip  and  support  of  the 
•neighboring  Montagnain  and  Algonquin  Indians,*  in  fur- 
f  therance  of  his  designs  of  interior  exploration  and  inter- 
1  course,  Champlain  now^  undertook,  with  dubious  propriety, 
'I  to  aid  them  in  their  ceaseless  warfare  with  the  Iroquois,  or 
I  Five  Nations,!  who  inhabited  the  region  lying  mostly  within 
'v  the  limits  of  the  present  State  ot  New  York.     Victory,  ot 
I  course,  attended  his  superior  arms  in  the  first  encounters 
I  with  them,  but  it  intensified  the  hatred  of  tliose  proud  and 
I  fierce  warriors  for  the  Indian  allies  of  Champlain ;  it  led  to 
an  alliance  of  the  Iroquois  with  the  Dutch  settlers,  and  af- 
terward with  the  English,  and  lonof  prevented  the  French 
from  advancing  southward  into  the  beautiful   and  fertile 
Valley  of  the  Ohio.    On  the  other  hand,  it  is  doubtful  if  the 


*The  Algonquins,  proper,  dwelt  on  the  Ottawa  river,  and  hence 
were  called  Ottawas  by  the  French  ;  but  they  gave  name  to  the  entire 
family  of  kindred  tribes  (about  thirty-eight  in  all),  known  as  Algonquins. 

tThe  use  of  the  word  nation,  as  applied  to  a  single  Indian  tribej 
though  sanctioned  by  the  usage  of  the  best  writers,  is;  nevertheless, 
a  misnomer. 


b 


I 


14 


Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Canada. 


jniiil 


i^ 


lirst  French  colonist  could  have  maintained,  for  any  con- 
siderable time,  an  attitude  of  strict  neutrality  between 
those  ever-vwarring  Indian  nations ;  so  that  the  policy  they 
adopted  may  have  been  the  only  feasible  one  open  to  them. 

In  the  early  summer  of  1609,  Champlain,  with  a  few 
armed  men,  joined  a  hunting  and  war  party  of  their  Mon- 
tagnais  allies  on  an  excursion  into  the  territory  of  the 
Iroquois.  Ascending  the  broad  St.  Lawrence  to  t^e  mouth 
of  the  Richelieu,  or  Sorel  River,  and  pushing  up  the  latter 
to  its  source,  he  discovered  and  partially  explored  that 
be?aitiful  lake  which  still  bears  liis  name.  On  its  sylvan 
shores  he  found  game  exceedingly  abundant,  and  particu- 
larly the  fur-bearing  beaver.  W^hile  exploring  the  south 
part  of  the  lake,  our  French  and  Indian  party  fell  in  with 
a  band  of  Mohawk  warriors,  when  a  sharp  light  ensued,  in 
which  several  of  the  latter  were  slain  and  others  taken 
prisoners.  Champlain  had  now  to  witness  an  exhibition 
of  that  protracted  and  cruel  torture  to  which  the  savages 
often  subjected  their  male  captives,  which  filled  him  with 
such  horror  that  he  obtained  permission  of  his  allies  to 
shoot  the  poor  creature  dead  with  his  arquebuse,  and  thus 
ended  his  anguish. 

Leaving  Pierre  Ohauvin  in  command  at  Quebec,  Cham- 
plain returned  with  Captain  Pontgrave  to  France  in  Sep- 
tember, 1609 ;  but  he  came  back  the  next  spring,  bringing 
fresh  sup|»lies,  and  a  number  of  artisans  for  his  embryo 
colony.  In  the  autumn  of  this  year  (1610),  the  Montagnais 
again  called  on  the  French  for  military  assistance  against 
their  enemies,  which  Champlain  gave  in  order  to  secure 
the  co-operation  of  the  former  in  his  own  interior  explora- 
tions. Moving  with  his  Indian  allies  up  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  river  Sorel,  he  assaulted  and  captured  a  stronghold 
cf  the  Iroquois,  but  received  a  severe  wound  in  the  action. 
If  the  French  at  this  epoch  could  have  forecast  tl  j  future 
of  their  Canadian  colony,  they  would  no  doubt  have  occu- 
pied the  Iroquois  country  in  force,  and  seized  control  of 
the  Hudson  River,  so  as  to  exclude  the  Dutch,  and  secure 
another  and  shorter  outlet  to  the  ocean.     Such  a  course 


.}»  hu 
beca 


tion 


•f 


>^^^l 

^^H 

object 
Indian 

onU'r  of 

Advent  of  the  Becollects. 


15 


ly  con- 
Btween 
;y  they 
>  them. 

a  few 
r  Mon- 
of  the 
mouth 
e  latter 
id  tliat 

sylvan 
3articn- 
e  south 
in  with 
3ued,  in 
8  taken 
liibition 
savages 
im  with 
lilies  to 
nd  thus 

Cham- 
11  8ei/- 
■iiiging 
embryo 
\tagiiaiH 
against 

secure 
ixplor.i- 
iwrence 
)nghol(l 

action. 
J  future 
re  occu- 
itrol  of 

secure  | 

course 


was  recommended  by  M.  Talon  at  a  subsequent  period,  but 
it  was  then  too  laie. 

In  August,  1611,  Champlain  again  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  France,  w^here  lie  sliortly  married  a  girl  named  Helene 
Boulle,  who  was  only  twelve  years  old,  and  who  was  called 
his  "  child  wife."  She  had  been  reared  a  Protestant,  but 
became  a  Catholic  after  her  marriage.  On  the  assassina- 
tion of  Henry  IV.,  in  1610,  De  Monts  lost  his  influence  at 
court,  and  the  merchants  of  his  company  having  become 
tired  of  the  continual  expense  of  the  Canadian  coloniza- 
tion scheme,  it  was  about  to  be  abandoned.  At  this  junc- 
ture, Champlain  induced  the  Count  de  Soissons  to  take 
hold  of  the  matter;  and  on  the  8th  of  October,  1612,  that 
nobleman  was  commissioned  governor  and  lieutenant-gen- 
eral of  New  France.  Champlain  was  now  appointed  lieu- 
tenant under  him,  and  continued  to  act  in  this  capacity 
until  after  the  rights  of  De  Soissons  had  been  transferred 
to  the  Prince  de  Conde.  Keturning  to  Quebec  in  the 
spring  of  1613,  Cham[>lain  undertook  to  explore  the  Ot- 
tawa River,  but  did  not  proceed  very  far  at  this  time.     In 

I  the   autumn  of  that  year  he  sailed  to  Old   France,  and 
organized  a  trading  compmiy  for  Canada.  .   , 

In  1615  he  brought  over  four  Recollects,  or  Recollets* 
(three  priests  and  a  lay  brother),  to  attend  to  the  spiritual 
needs  of  his  colony.  They  embarked  at  Ilonfleur,  and 
arrived  in  Quebec  the  25th  of  May.  The  names  of  these 
first  missionaries  were,  Fathers  Denis  .Tam«''t,  Jean  d'Olbeau 
and  Joseph  le  Caron,  and  lirother  Paciflcus  de  Plessis.  It 
was  with  mingled  cu'.'iosity  and  astonishment  that  the 
natives  of  the  St.  Lawrence  Valley  first  beheld  these  gray 
friars,  with  their  shaven  crowns,  sajidaied  feet,  and  long 
cassocks  of  coarse  woolen  clotli.  Their  first  care,  on  ar- 
rival, was  to  select  a  site  and  begin  the  erection  of  a  con- 
vejil  or  '.'eligious  house  for  their  use.  The  itaramount 
oliject  of  these  monks  was  the  conversion  of  the  pagan 

^Indians  to  Christianity;    and,   undismayed    by  the    many 

*The  UecolkH'tH  wore  a  reformt'd   branch  of  the  old  FranciHcun 
I  order  of  friars. 


16 


Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Canada. 


obstacles  and  perila  that  confronted  them,  they  met  in 
council  and  assigned  to  each  his  province  in  the  wide  field 
of  their  proposed  labors.  By  patient  and  persevering 
effort,  they  established  missions  at  various  points  among 
the  Moiitagnais  and  Hurons  in  Canada,  but  at  length,  find- 
ing the  task  too  great  for  their  limited  numbers  and  re- 
sources, they  applied  to  the  Jesuits  for  assistance. 

In  1616  Champlain  accompanied  his  Indian  allies  in 
another  expedition  against  the  Iroquois,  and  afterward  ex- 
plored the  river  and  valley  of  the  Ottpwa.  Journeying 
thence  westward,  he  appears  to  have  discovered  Lake 
Nipissing,  and  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake  Huron,  sleeping 
in  their  primeval  solitudes,  aad  engirt  with  dense  forests 
of  pine  and  cedar.  By  these  different  expeditions,  our 
veteran  explorer  was  enabled  to  form  a  niore  accurate  idea 
of  the  geography  of  the  Canadian  country;  inclosed  by 
great  lakes  and  rivers,  and  opening  into  vast  interior  re- 
gions, it  seemed  to  him  to  afi:ord  unlimited  scope  for  both 
conmiorce  and  settlement.  ■ 

As  early  as  1611,  the  Jesuits,  not  without  opposition 
and  delay,  had  started  a  mission  at  Port  Royal,  in  Acadia,* 
and  when  they  received  an  invitation  to  enter  Canada,  they 
eagerly  accepted  it.  But,  owing  to  the  prejudice  existing 
against  their  order  in  the  colony,  it  was  not  until  1625  that 
they  gained  a  foothold  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 
During  that  year  Fathers  Charles  Lalemunt,  Enomond, 
Masse,  and  Jean  de  Brebeuf,  with  two  lay  brothers,  reached 
Quebec,  where  they  were  at  first  ill-received  by  the  inhab- 
itants, but  were  generously  lodged  in  the  liouse  of  the  Re- 
collets,  on  St.  Charles  River.  In  the  following  year  (1626), 
three  other  Jesuits,  to  wit,  Fathers  Philibert,  Noirot,  and 
Ame  de  la  None,  with  a  lay  l)rother,  arrived  at  (^lebee,  and 
brought  out  with  them   several  mechanics  and  laborers.! 


*  It  was  on  the  22d  of  May,  IGll.that  Pierre  Biard  and  Etieluond 
Masse,  two  Jesuit  priests,  landed  in  Vttadia.  Tliey  liud  been  ready  to 
Bail  from  Franee  tl;»>  year  before,  but  were  prevented  from  doinji:  so  by 
the  directors  of  iho  eolony.  See  Charlevoix  Hist.  New  France,  vol.  1, 
p.  203,  note. 

T Charlevoix'  Hist.  New  France,  vol.2,  pp.  35,87. 


First  Appearance  of  the  Jesuits. 


17 


Bt  in 

field 
ering 
[nong 

find- 
id  re- 

ies  ill 
rd  ex- 
leyi  ng 
Lake 
seping 
forests 
8,  our 
;e  idea 
^ed  by 
■ior  re- 
>r  botli 

OHition 
adia,* 
a.  they 
c:3ting 
25  that 
renf'(\ 
moiul, 
eacliod 
inliab- 
he  He- 
1(1626), 
lot,  and 
»c,  and 
[orers.t 

iiiclnond 
Iri'luly  to 
In^  HO  by 
lo,  vol.  1, 


.rd 

:Wli 


They  were  the  first  representatives  in  Canada  of  that  cele- 
brated religious  society,  whicli  was  destined  to  play  so  im- 
portant a  part  in  her  ecclesiastical  and  civil  aftairs.  The 
Jesuits  had  just  fairly  entered  upr  .i  this  chosen  theater  of  la- 
bor, when  they  were  interrupted  and  dispersed  by  the  English 
invasion  of  the  St.  Lawrence  Valley  in  1629  ;  but,  four 
years  later,  they  resumed  their  missionary  work  on  a  larger 
scale,  and  wrestled  vigorously  with  heathenism  in  the  north- 
ern wilderness.  Cheerfully  enduring  every  form  of  hard- 
ship, and  confronting  every  extremity  of  personal  danger, 
they  penetrated  the  wildest  recesses  of  the  forest  and  lakes, 
and  planted  the  cross,  the  symbol  of  their  faith,  among  the 
most  ignorant  and  savage  tribes  of  the  interior. 

Quebec  continued  from  the  beginning  to  be  the  center 
of  their  operations,  tron.  whence  missionary  priests  and 
teachers  were  dispatche<l  far  and  wide. 

During  the  year  1(J27  Cardinal  Richelieu  organized  a 
company  of  one  hundred  associates,  called  Lp  Compagnie 
(F No u cea II  France yUiion  whom  was  conferred  the  possession 
and  government  of  Canada,  with  a  monopoly  of  its  trade 
and  commerce,  and  freedom  from  taxation  for  fifteen  years. 
Under  the  restrictive  regulations  of  tliis  company,  the  col- 
onists were  all  required  to  be  Frenchmen  and  Roman  Catii- 
olics,  a  short-sighted  ])olicy,  which  hampered  the  growth 
and  material  prosperity  of  the  cokiny.  At  this  epoch  the 
village  of  Quebec  did  not  contain  above  one  hundred  regu- 
lar inhabitants.  It  had  in  fact  a  fort,  a  church,  a  convent, 
and  an  hosjtital,  before  it  contained  a  fixed  population. 

In  July,  1629,  after  being  blockaded  for  some  time, 
Quebec  was  taken  by  an  English  squadron  under  the  com- 
mand of  Sir  David  Kirk,  a  Huguenot  refugee  of  Scotch 
parentage,  who,  with  his  two  brothers,  had  been  commis- 
sioned to  ascend  the  St.  Lawrence  for  that  purpose.  Cham- 
plain  and  his  feeble  garrison  were  now  put  on  shij)board, 
and  transported  as  prisoners  of  war  to  England.  In  pass- 
ing down  the  river  and  out  to  sea,  they  barely  escaped  being 
recaptured  by  a  French  scpuidron  nndi  r  Emeric  de  Caen, 
who  was  coming  to  the  relief  of  Quebec.  Tlie  .lesuit  mis- 
sionaries on  the  St.  Lawreiuie  were  also  deported  or  driven 
o 


w 


18 


Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Canada. 


liiilliiiii 


,l'::>,!i! 


away,  and  their  niisKions  broken  up.  But  b}'  the  treaty  of 
St.  Germain  en  Laye,  March  29, 1632,  Canada  was  restored 
to  its  former  proprietor,  and  Champhxin  was  soon  thereafter 
commissioned  anew  by  Richelieu  as  director-general  of  the 
colony.  At  that  time  there  was  considerable  discussion  at 
the  French  court  as  to  whether  Canada  were  worth  repos- 
sessing, so  little  was  it  valued. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1633,  the  veteran  Champlain,  hav- 
ing sailed  from  Dieppe  with  three  ships  and  two  hundred 
new  settlers,  arrived  once  more  at  Quebec,  and  with  him 
returned  John  de  Brebeuf,  the  indefatigable  Jesuit  mis- 
sionary. No  sooner  had  Champlain  resumed  conmiand  in 
the  colony,  than  he  addressed  himself  to  the  task  of  restor- 
ing order,  and  of  repairing  the  waste  occasioned  by  the 
English  occupation  of  the  country.  One  of  his  first  cares 
was  to  restore  and  strengthen  the  defenses  of  Quebec, 
which  his  quick  military  discernment  and  experience  had 
taught  him  was  the  key  to  the  St.  Lawrence  River  and 
connecting  lakes.  During  the  next  two  years  he  also 
erected  a  fort  on  Richelieu  Island,  in  Lake  St.  Peter  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  and  founded  the  post  of  Trois  Rwieres,  or 
Three  Rivers,  between  Quebec  and  Montreal.  But  Cham- 
plain had  now  attained  to  the  age  of  sixty-eight,  and  was 
worn  out  in  the  laborious  service  of  his  country.  After  an 
illness  lasting  two  months,  he  expired  at  his  quarters  in 
Quebec  on  Christmas  day,  1635,  just  one  hundred  years 
from  the  time  of  Cartier's  first  visit  to  the  spot.  He  died 
without  issue,  and  his  young  wife  soon  afterward  entered 
an  Ursuline  convent,  in  which  she  passed  the  remainder  of 
her  days.  Champlain  appointed  M.  de  Chatoaufort  to  di- 
rect the  affairs  of  the  colony  until  the  arrival  of  his  suc- 
cessor, Charles  Huault  de  Montmagny,  a  knight  of  Malta, 
who  reached  Canada  in  1636,  and  renuiined  eleven  years. 

We  may  not  pause  here  to  enlarge  upon  the  personal 
and  general  character  of  Samuel  de  Champlain.  He  was 
a  many  sided  man,  and  in  his  time  played  many  parts. 
He  "  presented  the  rare  intermixture  of  the  lieroic  quali- 
ties of  past  times,  witli  the  zeal  for  science  and  the  prac- 
tical talents  of  modern  ages."     Apart  from  liis  high  merits 


Canada  as  a  Boyal  Province. 


le 


1 


as  ji  (liKL'overer  and  scientific  exi)lorer,  he  was  an  intrepid 
negotiator  with  the  aboriginal  tribes,  and  possessed  execu- 
tive abilities  of  the  first  order.  During  a  period  of  twenty- 
seven  years  (saving  three  years  of  enforced  absence),  he 
ably  administered  the  affairs  of  the  nascent  colony,  and 
ilevoted  all  his  energies  to  the  arduous  duties  of  his  posi- 
tion. Amid  difficulties  and  discouragements  that  would 
have  overwhelmed  a  less  resolute  and  persevering  man,  he 
firmlv  fixed  the  authoritv  of  France  upon  the  banks  of  the 
noble  St.  Lawrence,  and  thus  achieved  for  himself  a  con- 
spicuous and  enduring  place  in  the  Gallic  history  of  the 
country.  Although  traffic  with  the  Indians  was  quite 
lucrative  in  his  (hiy,  lie  does  not  appear  to  have  personally 
engaged  in  it,  for  his  thoughts  were  intent  on  higher 
things.  As  a  military  commandant  he  was  just  and  firm, 
according  to  the  maxims  of  his  age,  though  his  justice  was 
ever  tempered  with  clemency.  A  devout  Catholic,  he  was 
zealous  in  promoting  the  religious  welfare  of  the  colonists, 
and  in  the  effort  to  convert  tlie  aborigines  to  Chris- 
tianity. In  his  writings  he  is  charged  \\\^\\  credulity  for 
repeating  the  absurd  stories  told  liim  by  the  Indians ;  but, 
though  a[»pareiitly  fond  of  the  nuirvelous,  we  are  not  to 
infer  that  he  believed  every  thing  he  wrote,  since  much  of 
it  was  related  as  hearsay.  Charlevoix  draws  his  character 
in  flattering  terms,  and  speaks  of  him  as  the  "Father  of 
New  France."  * 

For  twenty-eight  years  after  Champlain's  death,  tlie 
nianagement  of  public  affairs  in  Canada  was  continued  in 
the  hands  of  the  Iftindred  Associates,  or  partners,  who 
ruled  the  colony  arbitrarily  in  their  own  interests,  and 
thereby  restricted  its  nornuil  growth  and  development. 
Hut  in  i^\^bruary,  1(U;8,  they  voluntarily  abandoned  their 
charter  to  the  king.  In  the  following  April,  Louis  XIV. 
issued  an  edict  constituting  a  Sovereign  ('ouncil,  empow- 
ered to  carry  on  the  government  of  the  jtrovince.  New 
France  thus  becanu^  a  royal  i)rovince,  with  the  laws  and 
customs  of  the  Parliament  of  Paris,  and  Quebec  was  con- 


^n 


Charlevoix'  New  France,  vol.  II,  p.  81). 


•m 


20 


Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Canada. 


m 

! 


ii  I 


•iii" 


im>' 


stituted  a  city.  The  white  population  of  Canada  then  num- 
bered but  twenty-five  hundred  souls,  of  which  eight  hundred, 
including  the  garrison,  were  at  Quebec*  At  this  transition 
period,  Augustine  de  Saftray  de  Mesy  was  commissioned 
governor  of  the  new  province,  and  M.  Talon  intendant.  De 
Mesy  arrived  at  Quebec  in  September,  1663,  and  officiated 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  May  5, 1665.  He  had  been 
ap[)ointed  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Jesuits,  but  after- 
ward disagreed  with  them,  and  his  administration  was  in- 
felicitous. At  or  before  this  time,  however,  the  Marquis 
de  Tracy  was  appointed  viceroy,  or  lieutenant-general  of 
New  France,  with  Daniel  de  Remi,  Sieur  de  Courcelles, 
as  governor,  and  Jean  Baptiste  Talon  intendant.  They  ar- 
rived in  the  St.  Lawrence  during  the  summer  of  1665,  and 
entered  upon  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices. 

Under  the  new  and  more  orderly  system  of  government, 
the  French-Canadians  enjoyed  domestic  tranquillity  and  in- 
creased prosperity  for  a  series  of  years.  But  this  was  in- 
terrupted toward  the  close  of  that  century  by  l)order  wars 
with  the  English  settlers  of  New  England  and  N^ew  Yor... 
In  1690,  hostilities  then  existing  between  France  and  En- 
gland, an  army  was  raised  in  New  York  and  Connecticut  to 
march  agaiiist  Montreal,  though  it  did  not  advance  beyond 
Lake  Champlain.  This  army  of  militia  was  intended  to  co- 
operate with  an  expedition  by  sea,  under  the  connuand  of 
Sir  William  Phipps,  who  sailed  from  Boston  with  a  fleet 
of  some  thirty  vessels.  Entering  the  St.  Lawrence  in  the 
month  of  October,  and  ascending  it  to  Quebec,  he  landed  a 
part  of  his  troops,  and  laid  siege  to  the  city  both  by  land 
and  water ;  but  he  was  repulsed  and  driven  off  by  the 
Frendi  garrison  under  the  veteran  Count  Frontenac.  Sub- 
sequently, in  the  year  1711,  the  attem})t  against  Quebec  was 
renewed  by  Sir  Ilovenden  Walker,  with  a  fleet  of  thirty 
sail,  and  a  large  number  of  transjtorts  carrying  troops,  under 
one  General  I  fill.  But,  after  having  lost  ten  of  his  trans- 
ports by  shipwreck  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  he 


* Kiu^Ht'ord'rt  Hist,  of  Canada,  vol.  I. 


:^>^, 
# 


'tfe 


Quebec  and  Montreal. 


21 


abandoned  the  expedition  in  disgust  and  returned  to  En- 
gland. 

By  the  treaty  of  Utrecht  of  April  11,  1713,  Louis  XIV. 
restored  to  England  Hudson's  Bay,  ceded  to  her  New  Found- 
land  and  the  larger  part  of  Acadia,  and  renounced  all  claim 
to  the  Iroquois  country,  reserving  to  France  the  valleys  ot 
the  St.  Lawrence  and  Mississippi,  and  the  region  of  the 
Upper  Lakes.  Prior  to  that  time  New  France  embraced 
not  only  the  Canadas  and  all  of  Acadia,  but  parts  of  North- 
ern New  York  and  New  England. 

It  was  not  ujitil  after  the  English  attack  by  Phipps  in 
1690,  that  the  French  first  attempted  the  construction  of 
stone  fortifications  at  Quebec,  the  town  having  been  pre- 
viously protected  by  i)ali8ades  and  earthworks.  Thus  was 
begun  on  a  small  scale  that  elaborate  and  unique  system  of 
fortification,  now  covering  with  its  nivelins  about  forty 
acres,  which  crowns  the  summit  of  Cape  Diamond  at  an 
elevation  of  three  hundred  and  twelve  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  which  has  been  not  inaptly  termed 
the  Gibraltar  of  America.  Whoever  has  stood  upon  the 
parapotted  and  breezy  heights  of  this  renowned  fortress 
could  not  have  failed  to  be  im}ires8ed  with  its  exceeding 
military  strength,  or  charmed  with  the  magnificent  and  un- 
rivaled view  it  commandsof  the  surrounding  rivers,  valleys, 
villages,  and  distant  mountains.  The  relative  value  and 
importance  of  the  citadel  as  a  place  of  defense,  however,  has 
been  greatly  diminished  by  the  improved  military  science 
of  the  }>resent  age.* 

Before  closing  this  preliminary  chapter,  it  is  fitting 
that  we  should  concisely  yet  distinctly  trace  the  origin 
and  primordial  history  of  Montreal,  the  sister  city  of  Que- 
bec, and  the  great  emporium  of  the  Canadas.  Montreal  is 
situated  on  the  southeastern  side  of  the  large,  triangular 
island  of  the  same  name,  at  the  head  of  ship  navigation  on 
the  St.  Lawrence  River,  and  at  the  foot  of  that  great  chain 
of  improved  inland  waters  whicli  stretch  westward  to  the 


•  It  was  during  a  visit  to  this  historic  citadel  that  Daniel  Webster 
caught  the  inspiration  of  one  of  his  finest  strains  of  eloquence. 


22 


Discovery  and  Settlement  of  Canada. 


m 


!  !!:i:i>r 


m''I 


I'iiiijii 


extremity  of  Lake  Superior.  Within  the  extended  limits 
of  the  present  Canadian  Dominion,  no  nobler  site  could 
well  have  been  selected  for  a  large  commercial  city.  From 
this  vantage  point  the  majestic  St.  Lawrence,  unbroken  by 
any  considerable  rapids,  flows  on  in  one  broad  and  deep 
channel  for  six  hundred  miles  to  the  ocean,  bearing  upon 
its  ample  bosom  the  rich  and  varied  products  of  an  empire. 

Montreal  was  founded  in  1641-42,  on  the  site  of  the 
ancient  Indian  village  of  Hochelaga.  It  was  officially 
christened  V'dle  Marie,  or  City  of  Mary,  and  for  many 
years  was  known  by  that  as  well  as  its  present  name.  As 
early  as  the  year  1636,  Jean  Jacques  Olier  de  Verneuil  had 
formed  an  association  in  France,  for  the  purpose  of  colo- 
nizing the  island  of  Montreal.  These  associates  purchased 
the  Island  of  Jean  de  Lauson,  August  7,  1640,  and,  in 
order  to  remove  all  doubts  about  the  title,  obtained  a  grant 
of  it  from  the  Company  of  New  France,  on  the  17th  of 
December,  in  that  year.  In  the  sunmier  of  1641,  they  sent 
out  the  Sieur  de  Maisonneuve,  a  gentleman  of  Champagne, 
with  a  company  of  about  forty  colonists,  including  some 
ecclesiastics,  to  make  a  settlement.  Maisonneuve  arrived 
at  Quebec  on  the  20th  of  August,  and  thonce  proceeded  up 
the  river  to  Montreal,  where  he  was  duly  installed  governor 
of  the  island.  After  wintering  his  colonists  in  Quebec  and 
Sainte  Foy,  he  returned  to  Montreal  in  the  spring  of  1642, 
and,  on  the  17th  of  May,  having  heard  solemn  mass,  he 
began  an  intrenchment  around  his  encampment.  Subse- 
quently, in  1656,  the  proprietorship  of  this  company  was 
transferred  to  the  Society  or  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice,  which 
had  been  founded  by  Father  Olier,  at  Paris,  in  September, 
1645,  for  the  special  training  of  candidates  for  the  priest- 
hood. The  Sulpitians  took  possession  of  the  island  in 
1657,  and  established  there  a  seminary  and  missionary  es- 
tablishment, which  has  maintained  its  footing  down  to  our 
time.* 

Although  of  a  distinctively  religious  origin,  and  never 


*  For  a  further  account  of  the  movement  toward  the  first  settlement 
of  Montreal,  see  Charlevoix*  Hist.  New  France,  Vol.  II,  pp.  125  to  130, 
and  accompanying  notes. 


Montreal. 


23 


the  political  capital  of  Canada,  under  the  French  regime 
(except  for  a  short  time  after  the  fall  of  Quehec,  in  1759), 
Montreal  early  became  the  commercial  metropolis  of  the 
colony,  the  repository  of  its  wealth,  and  the  center  of  its 
incre  sing  fur-trade.  The  town  was  not  regarded  by  the 
colonial  authorities  as  c.  place  of  special  military  conse- 
({uence,  nor  was  it  ever  regularly  fortified  until  1758,  and 
then  under  the  stress  of  war  and  expected  English  invasion. 
While  its  history  is  hardly  so  thrilling,  or  distinguished  by 
so  many  vicissitudes,  as  that  of  Quebec,  it  is  still  replete 
with  events  of  deep  and  abiding  interest. 

It  was  here,  during  the  lengthened  period  of  the  Gal- 
lic rule,  that  most  of  those  secular  and  missionary  expedi- 
tions were  finally  equipped  and  sent  out  to  the  West,  which 
first  disclosed  to  European  eyes  the  boundless  extent  and 
physical  resources  of  the  interior  of  North  America.  Here, 
from  time  to  time,  were  wont  to  rendezvous  and  go  forth 
to  explore  and  subdue  the  savage  wilderness,  those  little 
bands  of  Recollet  friars  and  Jesuit  priests,  those  high-bred 
and  intrepid  soldiers  of  fortune,  those  hardy  adventurers, 
voyageurs,  traders  and  trappers,  whose  deeds  of  daring  and 
discovery,  of  courage  and  constancy,  of  penance  and  piety, 
of  sufiering  and  self-sacrifice,  have  been  immortalized  in 
prose  and  in  verse. 


24 


Spanish  Discocery  of  the  Mississippi. 


CHAPTER  II. 


153i)-J671. 


DISCOVERY   OF  THE    MISSISSIPPI    RIVER    AND  OF  THE    NORTHWEST. 


m 

^'■I'itf 

'i  -i 

'I'M 

:i,'1i| 

Itilli 


''' 


According  to  Spanisli  colonial  chronicles,  the  Missis- 
sippi Kiver  was  discovered  by  Hernando  de  Soto,*  an  am- 
bitious soldier  of  fortune,  who,  after  acquiring  wealth  and 
distinction  under  Pizarro  in  Peru,  returned  to  Spain,  and 
was  commissioned  by  the  emperor,  Charles  V.,  to  be  gov- 
ernor and  captain-general  for  life  of  Cuba  and  Florida. 
Having  obtained  tiie  imperial  permission  and  authority  to 
undertake,  at  his  own  expense,  the  exploration  and  conquest 
of  Florida,!  De  Soto  raised  and  equipped  a  force  of  six  hun- 
dred picked  men,  SpaniartNand  Portuguese,  besides  twenty 
officers  and  twenty-four  ecclesiastics.  With  these  he  put 
to  sea  from  San  Lucar,  Spain,  on  April  6,  1538,  and  before 
the  end  of  May  arrived  at  the  port  '>f  St.  Jago  de  Cuba, 
then  the  seat  of  government,  in  the  southeastern  corner  of 
the  island.  Here  he  tarried  a  few  months  to  arrange  his 
affairs  of  state,  and  then  proceeded  to  Havana,  where  he 
vv^as  joined  by  his  consort,  Dona  Isabella,  and  all  of  his 
troo}>s. 

It  was  on  the  18th  of  May,  1539,  after  fourteen  months 
of  busy  preparation,  that  the  captain-general  and  his  splen- 
did armament,  v/ith  nodding  plumes  and  waving  banners, 
embarked  for  the  shallow  and  treacherous  coast  of  "West 
Florida.  Before  setting  sail,  however,  he  appointed  one  of 
his  trusted  friends  in  Havana  to  act  with  his  wife  in  the 
government  of  Cuba  during  his  absence.  His  ileet  con- 
sisted of  live  large  ships,  two  caravels,  and  two  brigantines, 


*  Variously  written  by  different  authors  Ferdinand,  Fernando,  and 
Hernando  de  Soto. 

tThis  large  peninsula  had  been  discovered  and  named  by  Ponce  de 
Leon  in  1512,  but  little  was  known  of  the  interior  of  the  country. 


Soto's  Expedition  through  Florida. 


25 


kIo,  ami 
jnce  (le 


carrying  six  hundred  and  twenty  soldiers,  and  two  liundred 
and  twenty-three  horses.*  They  also  carried  a  numerous 
retinue  of  priests,  servitors,  and  camp-followers,  and  a  large 
herd  of  swine.  The  horsemen  were  all  furnished  with 
shirts  of  mail,  steel  caps  and  greaves,  after  the  military 
fashion  of  that  age.  The  fleet  quit  the  harbor  of  Havana 
witli  a  favorable  wind,  but  was  becalmed  on  entering  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  did  not  reach  its  destination  u!itil  the 
25th  of  May,  when  it  came  to  anchor  at  the  Bay  of  Espiritu 
Santo,  now  called  Tampa  Bay.  On  the  30th  of  that  month 
De  Soto  debarked  his  troops,  horses  and  baggage,  and 
pitched  his  camj)  on  the  seashore.  After  some  little  skirm- 
ishing with  hostile  parties  of  the  natives,  in  which  several 
of  his  light-armed  troops  were  wounded,  he  took  possession 
of  the  deserted  village  of  Ucita,  situated  about  two  leagues 
up  the  bay.  This  place  he  proceeded  to  fortify  by  throw- 
ing up  intrenchments,  etc.,  and  made  it  his  base  of  opera- 
tions. ,  ' 

Learning  from  an  Indian  captive  that  a  Spaniard 
was  living  not  many  leagues  away,  who  had  been  a  soldier 
in  the  unfortunate  expedition  of  Pamphilio  de  Narvaez,  in 
1527  or  '28,  the  governor  sent  an  escort  for  him  and  had 
him  brought  to  his  lieadquarters.  This  Spaniard  was  a 
native  of  iJeville,  and  his  name  was  Juan  Ortiz.  He  ap- 
})eared  at  the  Spanish  camp  with  his  face  painted,  and 
otherwise  accoutered  as  a  savage.  On  being  interrogated 
he  stated  that  he  had  lived  among  the  Florida  Indians 
eleven  years,  and  knew  their  language  very  well,  but  could 
not  tell  much  about  the  country,  only  that  there  was  no 
gold  in  it.  Taking  him  for  a  guide  and  interpreter,  De  Soto 
now  set  out  to  penetrate  the  interior  with  all  his  army,  ex- 
cept sixty  foot  soldiers  and  twenty-six  horsemen,  who  were 
left  behind  to  guard  the  fort.f 

After  spending  the  remainder  of  tliat  season  in  ram- 
bling through  the  tangled  forests  and  everglades  of  the 

*  Narrative  of  Luis  Hernandez  de  Biedma,  or  Biedura,  factor  of  the 
s'xpedition. 

t  Biedma's  Narrative. 


26 


Spanish  Discovery  of  the  Mississippi. 


|M'I 


peninsula,  he  wintered  in  the  territory  of  the  Appalach- 
ians, near  the  northwestern  coast,  and  during  the  next 
spring  marched  to  the  northeast,  traversing  what  is  now 
Georgia  and  a  part  of  South  Carolina.  Arriving  early  in 
May  on  the  banks  of  a  wide  river,*  near  a  large  village  of 
the  Cofitachiqui,  the  Indian  (pieen  of  that  nation  sent  her 
sister  with  a  present  of  a  necklace  of  beads  to  De  Soto, 
and  canoes  with  which  to  cross  the  river.  When  he 
r-^ached  the  village,  the  queen  gave  him  the  use  of  one- 
half  of  it  in  which  to  lodge  liis  men,  and  also  sent  him  a 
present  of  many  wild  hens.  Searching  the  graves  of  a  dis- 
peopled town  in  that  vicinity  for  treasure,  the  Spaniards 
discovered  a  great  store  of  pearls,  which,  however,  had 
been  injured  by  being  buried  in  the  ground.  They  also 
found  two  Spanish  axes,  and  some  beads  resembling  those 
brought  from  Spain  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the 
Indians.  It  was  conjectured  that  these  last  articles  had 
been  obtained  in  trade  from  the  companions  of  Vasquez  de 
Ayllon,  who,  sailing  from  Ilispaniola,  had  landed  at  a  port 
on  the  coast  of  Carolina  in  the  year  1525. 

Ilenuiining  at  the  village  of  the  Indian  princess  sev- 
eral days,  the  Spanish  governor  next  marched  north- 
westward, crossing  the  southern  spurs  of  the  Blue  Ridge 
Mountains,  j  nd  thence  bent  his  general  course  southward 
through  the  pi'esent  State  of  Alabama,  inquiring  every- 
where for  tl  e  precious  metals,  often  hearing  of  them,  but 
finding  little  or  none.  The  aborigines,  living  along  thin 
extend'.'*,'  and  tortuous  route,  were  sometimes  hostile,  and 
at  oibvr  times  friendly,  but  nowhere  offered  any  effectual 
resistance  to  the  progress  of  the  invaders.  The  privations 
and  sufterings  of  the  Spaniards  were  often  severe,  and  their 
adventures  bordered  closely  on  the  marvelous.f 

About  the  middle  of  October,  1540,  Soto  and  his 
army  arrived  at  a  large  palisaded  town  called  Mavila,  or 
Mauvila  (Mobile),  which   was   situated   on   the   Alabama 


Ri 


®  Supposed  to  be  the  Savannah  Kiver,  and  probably  in  the  Chero- 
kee country. 

t  Thomas'  History  of  the  U.  S. 


*  Per 


Soto's  Expedition  through  Florida. 


27 


ilach  • 

next 
s  now 
Li'ly  in 
ige  of 
it  her 

Soto, 
en  he 
tf  one- 

hini  II 
['  i\  (Us- 
miards 
!r,  had 
3y  also 
V  those 
ith  the 
.68  had 
:^\iez  de 

a  port 

J8S  sev- 

north- 

Uidge 
thward 

every- 
mi,  but 
ntf  thin 
ile,  and 
tt'ectuiil 
ivations 

d  their 

and  his 
ivila,  or  ; 
labania  *^ 

Hlie  Chero-  ^ 


Liver,  a  short  distance  above  its  confluence  with  the  Toni- 
bigbee.  The  nati'^'es  of  that  southern  locahty  had  con- 
ceived a  strong  aversion  toward  the  Spaniards  on  account 
of  their  reimted  inliumanity,  and  this  was  intensified  l)y 
the  arbitrary  action  of  the  latter  in  seizing  and  holding  as 
prisoner,  for  a  time,  the  Indian  cacique,  Tuscalosa,  for  sus- 
pected treachery.  This  bitter  state  of  feeling  soon  burst 
out  into  a  >doody  conflict,  which  lasted  several  days,  and 
duriiiir  which  the  Indian  town  was  firod  and  reduced  to 
ashes,  together  with  a  great  many  of  its  inliabitants,  and  a 
part  of  tiie  baggage  of  the  S[)aniards.  According  to  some 
Spanish  accounts,  twenty-five  hundred  of  the  natives  either 
died  in  battle,  or  were  suffocated  and  burned  to  death,  at 
Mavila. 

Ilaviiiff  now  lost  about  one  hundred  of  his  men  and 
forty-two  horses,  since  landing  in  Florida,  De  Soto  went 
into  camp  for  a  few  weeks  to  rest  his  little  army,  and  care 
for  the  wounded.  Any  one  but  this  proud  and  headstrong 
captain  would  have  here  renounced  his  scheme  of  barren 
conquest  and  fruitless  search  for  mineral  wealth,  and  joined 
his  brigantines  which  had  arrived  at  the  harbor  of  Ochuse,* 
only  one  hundred  miles  away.  But  still  lured  forward  by 
the  hope  of  finding  some  rich  country,  he  broke  up  his 
camp  and  marched  to  the  northwest.  Fighting  his  way 
through  the  woods  and  across  rivers  into  the  heart  of  the 
Chickasaw  country,  he  put  his  troops  into  v/inter  quarters 
at  the  s»nall  village  of  Chicaca,  on  the  upper  waters  (it  is 
Bupposed)  of  the  Yazoo  River.  Early  in  the  following 
March,  Scto,  as  had  been  his  custom,  made  a  requisition 

ijion  the  principal  cacique  of  the  neighborhood  for  two 

mndred   men  to  carry  his  baggage  to  tlie  banks  of  the 
Lississippi.     To  this  unexpected  demand  the  wily  sachem 

^ave  an  evasive  answer,  and,  instead  of  complying  with  it, 
jcretly  collected  his  warriors  at  night,  and  attacked  and 

5t  fi.re  to  the  village  in  which  the  Spaniards  were  lodged; 

lus  causing  the  destruction  of  the  clothing  and  stores  of 

latter,  as  well  as  the  loss  of  fifty-seven  of  their  horses 


*  Pensat'ola  Bay,  the  Achusi  of  La  Vega. 


28 


iSpanish  Discovery  of  the  Mississippi. 


m 


■m 


I  'I  i  ]'  Mil 

ft  "> 


iiiy'i-iii 


and  fourteen  men,  who  perished  in  the  light  and  flames.^j 
This  frightful  disaster  occasioned  the  Spaniards  a  month'sj 
delay,  during  which  time  forges  were  erected,  swords  re 
tempered,  ashen  lances  made,  and  every  effort  put  forth  toj 
repair  their  irreparable  losses. 

At  length,  late  in  April,  1541,  the  indomitable  coni' 
maiider  again  resumed  his  uiarch,  and,  after  struggling  for] 
a  week  or  more  through  the  intervening  wilderness  of  for- 
est and  swamp,  and  meeting  and  overcoming  stubborn  op 
position  from  the  natives,  he  reached  the  long  sought  Mis- 
sissippif — the  Rio  Grande  of  De  la  Vega,  and  the  Rio  del 
Espiritu  Santo  of  tlie  Spaniards  generally.  The  character| 
of  tliis  mighty  stream  has  not  materially  changed  in  the 
lapse  of  three  and  a  half  centuries.  It  was  then  descrilni! 
(at  the  place  of  crossing)  as  almost  half  a  league  wide,  and 
flowing  with  a  swift  current  in  a  deep  channel.  The  river 
was  always  muddy,  and  trees  and  timber  were  continuall} 
floating  down  it.  The  Indian  town  where  Soto  iirst 
struck  the  main  river,  was  called  Quizquiz,  or  Chiscii,; 
names  now  incapable  of  identification.  The  actual  ap- 
pearance of  the  Spanish  captain,  and  of  his  tattered  and 
battle-scarred  followers,  nuirshaied  on  the  low  banks  of  tlit 
Mis8i88ij)pi,  was  no  doubt  tame  enough  iti  contrast  with  tlu 
brilliantly  pictured  representation  of  the  scene  on  canvasf 

Kere  the  resolute  adventurers  were  detained  riearly  a 
month,  constructing  pirogues  and  barges  to  convey  thoiii- 
pelves,  liorses  and  baggage,  over  the  river.  They  appear  ti 
have  crossed  to  the  western  side  at  the  fcjtof  the  lowisi 
Chickasaw  bluff,  a  short  distance  below  the  site  of  the  ]>rosciit 
city  of  Memjthis.  SucJj,  at  all  events,  is  the  geneially  n 
ceived  opinion,  though  a  few  modern  writers  endeavor  t 


*  See  Bit'dma's  Narrative. 

t"  There  in  probably  no  r-ver  tliat  lias  had  ho  many  names  hh  tliis 
great  river.  The  name  MechiHapa  was  afterward  written  Missisipi,  niul 
finally  MiHfe'i88ippi.  The?  IndiaiiH,  aceording  to  their  different  looalitii- 
and  langua|&,o.s,  had  different  nanieB  for  it.  Soto  flrfit  knew  it  by  tin 
name  of  Chuoagna.  The  French  Reveral  timen  rhange<l  its  name,  call 
ing  it  St.  Louis,  Colbert,  etc." — Hhij.p's  History  DeSoio,  p.  674. 

I  The  latter  is  the  name  given  by  La  Vega. 


Soto's  Expedition  through  Florida. 


m 


I  flames.^ 
J,  montli's 
^ords  re- 
t  forth  to 

ible  com- 

ogling  for 

388  of  for- 

bborn  op- 

uglit  Mis- 

iG  Kio  (k! 

oliarac'ter 

>;ed  in  tlit 

de8cribo(i 

wide,  and 

The  river 

ontimially 

Soto    iirst 

r  Chisca,'; 

ictual   ap- 

tered  and 

iks  of  tlu 

it  witli  tilt 

>n  canviij 

I  nearly  a 

vey  thoiii' 

appear  ti 

he  lowest 

-  prertoii! 

lally  re-i 
leavor  toJ 


fix  the  place  of  their-  crossing  b«^low  the  junction  of  the  Ar- 
kansas.* 

After  passing  the  Mississippi^  Soto  and  his  caravan 
moved  in  a  northwesterly  direction  to  the  Indian  village  of 
Pacaha,  situated  not  far  to  the  west  of  the  modern  New 
Madi-id,  Missou ri.  Stopping  there  some  twenty-seven  days, 
he  sent  out  small  parties  to  explore  the  country,  and  after- 
ward marched  north  and  west  to  the  highlands  of  White 
River,  the  northern  limit  of  his  expedition.  Still  seeking 
the  rich  realm  described  by  Do  Vaca,t  the  Spanish  captain 
uow  changed  his  course  to  the  soutiieast,  and  came  to  a 
.Urge  town  of  the  people  called  Quigata.  This  is  supposed 
to  have  been  on  the  river  Arkansas,  near  Little  Rock.  But 
he  was  again  tempted  westward,  up  into  the  region  of  the 
Ozark  mountains,  and  on  his  route  may  have  i)a8sed  by 
the  Hot  Springs,  one  of  the  fa  >led  fountains  of  youth.  He 
liixt  wintered  at  the  town  of  VicjinqvM'  or  Autiamque, 
■iliich  was  probably  on  the  [J})per  Arkansas,  though  some 
writers  plare  it  on  the  headwatci's  of  the  Washita.  It  was 
here  that  Juan  Ortiz,  the  interpreter,  died  much  regretted. 

In  March,  1542,  De  Soto  left  V'icanque  and  descended 
the  Valley  of  the  Arkansas,  to  get  information  in  rcgai'd  to 
^he  sea.  lieturningto  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  he  tixed 
hi;  fortified  camp  at  a  village  called  Guachoya,  or  (^luach- 
Oyan(pie,I  which  was  ^)robably  situated  not  far  below  the 
lontiuence  of  the  Arkansas.  The  commander  now  found 
his  iiealth  and  strength  declining  uiuler  the  fatigues  and 
anxieties  of  his  disaitpointing  enterprise,  and  his  lofty  i  ride 


tave  way  to  a  settled  melancholy.     This  was  accom[)anieu 


*Sen  tluMlitt'ercnt  opitiiotiH  on  this  mooted  quostiou  collected  iu  a 
lote  to  Baneroft'H  History  of  the  V.  8.  (edition  of  187'))  vol  I,  p.  iV.).  See 
llso  a  lengthy  note  on  the  '"  Route  of  PeSoto,"  in  the  appendix  to  B, 
phipp'H  History  of  Soto  and  Florida  ^riiiladelphia,  1881),  pp.  (176-<)81. 

tCaheea  de  Vaea  was  second  in  command  of  the  expedition  of  Nar- 
fftez  in  1528,  and  it  is  asserted  or  conjectured  that  he  discovered  one  of 
»e  njouths  of  the  Mississippi. 

+  Home  modern  writers,  including  Bancroft,  locate  (iuachoya  near 
le  mouth  of  Red  River;  but  we  prefer  to  follow  Mr.  Mc('Ullough,  Mr. 
|lhea,  and  others,  who  would  conHne   He  Soto's  wanderings  west  of  tho 
Ireat  River  to  tho  Valley  of  the  Arkansas  and  its  trihutariis. 


!  diiiiiiiliiii! 


If 


^'^  Spanish  Discovery  of  the  Mississippi.  ; 

by  a  malignant  and  wasting  fever,  of  which  he  died  on  the 
5th  of  June,  1542,  being  aged  about  forty  and  six  years. 
The  knowledge  of  his  death  was  kept  a  secret  from  the  In- 
dians of  the  locality,  who  yet  surmised  the  fact,  and  his 
body,  wrapped  in  a  mantle,  was  buried  witliin  the  camp  or 
town.  But  to  eft'ectually  guard  the  corpse  against  outrage 
by  the  superstitious  savages,  it  was  exhumed  a  few  days 
after,  and  placed  in  the  hollowed  trunk  of  an  oak,  and  then 
lowered  at  midnight  into  the  deep  bosom  of  the  Father  of 
Waters,*  an  appropriate  resting-place  for  its  daring  discov- 
erer. It  is  related  that  his  sympathetic  and  devoted  wife 
expired  at  Havana  within  three  days  after  hearing  the  sad 
tidings  of  his  end. 

According  to  the  more  credible  authorities,  Hernando 
de  Soto  was  born  at  Xeres  de  los  CaV.ell^  ^  in  the  prijici- 
pality  of  Estramadura,  tSpain,  about  tue  ^  cur  1496.  He  was 
the  scion  of  a  noble  yet  impoverished  family,  and  was  in- 
d'^.bted  to  one  Pedrais  d'  Avila  for  the  means  of  pursuing 
an  university  course.  After  this  he  went  to  the  West  In- 
dies, and  joined  Pizarro's  expedition  to  Peru.  In  his  ex- 
ploration and  attempted  conquest  of  Florida,  he  is  said  to 
have  expended  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  ducats. 

Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  in  his  "History  of  the  Conquest 
of  Florida,"  gives  us  this  concise  yet  flattering  delineation 
of  De  Soto's  person  and  ol  aracter: 

"He  was  a  little  above  tlie  medium  height,  hi. 1  a  cheer- 
ful countenance,  though  somewhat  swartliy,  aiisi  v  .;  an  ex- 
cellent horseman.  Fortunate  in  his  enterprise-  1  leath 
had  not  interrupted  his  designs;  vigilant,  skillful,  amwitious, 
patient  under  difficulties;  severe  to  chastise  offenses,  but 
ready  tr  pardon  others  ;  charitalile  and  liberal  toward  the 
soldiers;  brave  and  daring,  as  much  so  as  any  captain  wlio 


■*'Tlv«  Knight  of  Klvas  statcH,  in  his  narrative,  that  iSoto  died  on  the 
2lBt  of  May,  1542,  and  alw)  given  a  ditlerent  account  o."  liis  final  burial 
from  that  currently  accepted,  lie  Hays:  "  Luysde  Mohcopo  comn.andcd 
hiin  (Koto)  to  be  t&ken  up,  and  to  caet  a  great  deal  ^f  sand  into  the 
mantlcH  in  whiidi  he  wan  wound,  wherein  he  was  carried  in  a  canoe, 
and  thrown  into  the  river." 


,mi 


on  the 
years, 
he  lu- 
ud  his 
imp  or 
utrage 
tV  days 
id  then 
ther  of 
discov- 
id  wife 
the  sad 

rnaudo 

prinei- 

Lle  was 

tva8  in- 

Lirsuiiig 

^e8t  Iii- 

his  ex- 

eaid  to 

ucats. 

IKpK'Ht 

neation 


Survivors  of  Soto's  Expedition. 


81 


d  on  tilt' 
al  burial 
in.aixifii    'j^ 
into  the 
a  canoe, 


had  entered  the  new  worhl.  So  many  rare  qualities  caused 
him  to  be  regretted  by  all  the  troops."* 

By  his  last  will,  De  Soto  appointed  Luis  de  Musooso 
d'Alvarado,  his  favorite  lieutenant,  to  succeed  him  in  com- 
mand of  the  army,  which  had  been  reduced  by  disease  .ind 
casualties  to  one-half  its  original  nundjer.  The  real  pur- 
pose of  the  expedition  was  now  abandoned,  the  only  object 
of  the  survivors  beiiig  to  quit  the  country  as  best  they 
^night.  Doubting  his  ability  to  lead  the  men  back  to  Cuba 
by  way  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  Gulf,  the  new  commander 
set  fcrth  on  a  long  and  hazardous  journey  to  the  west  and 
southwest  in  hopes  of  reaching  the  Spanish  settlements  in 
northern  Mexico,  as  De  Vaca  claimed  to  have  done  after 
the  failure  of  the  exi)odition  of  Narvaez,  to  which  allusion 
has  been  nnuk>.  In  the  course  of  this  archious  march,  ex- 
tending over  seven  hundred  miles,  Muscoso  and  his  troop 
traversed  a  consideral)le  part  of  the  Valle}'  of  Red  Kiver, 
and  passed  by  some  tribes  who  were  found  still  inhabiting 
that  country  when  it  was  first  explored  by  the  French, 
nearly  a  century  and  a  half  later.  The  most  westerly  town 
reached  by  our  band  of  adventurers  was  named  Nacachoz, 
or  Nazachoz,  in  western  Texas.  Here  they  saw  pottery, 
tur([Uoises,  and  cotton  mantles  from  Mexico,  and  met  with 
an  Indian  woman  who  had  l)elonged  to  a  S}»anish  expedi- 
tion sent  eastward  from  the  Pacific  coast  a  few  years  before, 
(-ontinuing  to  advance  ten  days  longer,  tliey  crossed  a  con- 
siderable river,:|:  when  they  found  themselves  in  a  desert 
region  j)eopled  by  rovii\g  .md  jiredatory  tribes. 

Disheartened  at  tlie  cheerless  prospect,  and  fearing 
treachery  from  their  native  guides,  the  Spaniards  now  faced 
about  and  retraced  their  weary  course  to  the  Mississippi. 
Arrived  once  more  at  Guachoya,  where  Soto  had  deceased, 
they  determined  to  construct  some  v^essels  with  which  to 
descend  to  the  sea  and  return  to  their  own  country.  But 
not  findiiig  the   requisite  facilities  f«n    che  work,  they  as- 

*  Soe  Rhipp's  History  of  De  Soto  and  Florida,  p.  A'.W. 
fSupposfd  to  have  been  the  I't'cos  branch  of  the  Rio  Bravo  del 
Norte. 


!i 


if 


32 


Spanish  Discovery  of  the  Mississippi. 


cended  the  river  to  the  village  of  Minoya,*  where  they  went 
into  winter  quarters  and  stayed  six  months.  Here  they  set 
up  a  forge,  and  worked  all  their  iron  and  chains  into  nails 
and  spikes.  They  cut  and  dressed  timbers,  split  boards, 
laid  keels,  and  thus  built  seven  light  brigantines,  in  which 
they  laid  loose  planks  for  decks,  and  afterward  stretched 
rawhides  and  mats  to  protect  themselves  from  the  Indian 
arrows. 

It  was  on  the  2d  of  July,  1543,  that  the  shattered 
remnant  of  Soto's  once  proud  array,  now  reckoned  at  only 
three  hundred  and  twenty -two  men,  embarked  in  their 
slender  brigantines,  with  a  canoe  attached  to  each,  and 
began  to  drift  down  the  great  river.  During  the  voyage, 
they  suftered  great  annoyance  and  injury  from  the  Indians 
along  the  Lower  Mississippi,  who  were  exasperated  at  the 
Spaniards  on  account  of  their  cruelties,  and  who  followed 
them  in  canoes  for  many  days,  and  harassed  them  with  re- 
peated attacks,  both  by  laud  and  water.  In  one  of  these 
encounters  with  the  savages,  according  to  the  Knight  of 
Elvas,  Viie  brave  Juan  de  Guzman  and  ten  soldiers  were 
slain  or  drowned  iu  the  river.  Escaping  at  length  from 
their  enemies,  and  having  sailed  as  they  computed  two 
hundred  and  fifty  leagues,  Muscoso  and  his  followers 
reached  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  18th  of  July.  From 
thence,  instead  of  venturing  to  cross  the  open  sea  in  their 
weak  craft,  they  coasted  its  low  sbores  to  the  west  and 
south  for  fifty-two  days,  and,  after  undergoing  incredible 
hardships,  finally  arrived  at  the  town  of  Panuco,  in  M<^xico, 
on  the  10th  of  September.  "The  inhabitants  of  Panuco," 
says  the  old  chronicler,  Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  "were  all 
touched  witli  pity  at  beholding  this  forlorn  remnant  of  the 
gallant  armament  of  the  renowned  Hernando  de  Soto. 
They  were  blackened,  haggard,  shrivele<l  up,  and  half- 
naked,  beii>g  clad  only  with  the  skins  of  deer,  buffalo, 


*  Or  Aininyo.  The  precise  location  of  tiiis  village,  where  the  brig- 
autineB  were  built,  can  not  now  bo  settled,  its  SpaniHli-Iiulian  name 
havinji;  left  no  trace,  but  it  \h  supponed  to  huve  been  on  a  hmuiII  river 
that  put  into  the  Mississippi  a  few  miles  above  the  luouth  of  the  Ar- 
kansaH. 


of  a 
here 


*  Fo 
Ition,  set 
[Gentlen 

^ffl^BioUK  of 

ha|iH  the 


Survivors  of  Soto's  Expedition. 


33 


XU'O, 

nco," 
•e  all 
)t'  tlie 

Soto. 
hiiH- 
ttUlo, 


bears  and  other  animals,  and  looking  more  like  wild  beasts 
than  liuman  beings.* 

This  wonderful  yet  disastrous  expedition,  covering  a 

period  of  over  four  years,  was  practically  the  beginning  of 

the  history  of  the  United  States  of  North  America ;  for  the 

''■-,)  migrations  and  wars  of  the  savage  tribes,  who  had  hitherto 

-."  occupied  the  whole  country,  are  of  hardly  more  historical 

value  than  the  flights  and  skirmishes  of  so  many  hawks 

^  and  crows.     In  this  category  we  would  not  class  the  old 

"s  Mound  Builders,  of  whom  and  whose  works  so  much  has 

■  been    learnedly  written,  while   so   little   comparatively  is 

really  known.     They,  too,  were  probably  Indians,  though 

of  a  more  intelligent  and  civilized  type  than  those  found 

licre  by  the  Europeans. 

Subsequently,  in  the  year  1557,  owing  to  the  implaca- 
ble hoistility  of  the  natives,  and  to  the  loss  of  the  crews  of 
several  Spanish  ships  that  had  been  wrecked  on  the  coasts 
of  Florida,  the  King  of  Spain  gave  orders  for  the  military 
reduction  of  thai;  country.     Accordingly,  in  1559,  an  ex- 
pedition of  fifteen  hundred  men  was  equipped  and  sailed 
from  Vera  Cruz,  Mexi-o,  under  the  c(mimand  of  the  vet- 
.|eran  Don  Tristan  de  Luna.     He  landed  with  his  army  at 
I  St.  Mary's  Hay,  iiow  Pensacoia,  and  advanced   northward 
|into  the  interior,  and  thence  westward  to  the  Mississippi, 
||in  the  country  of  the  Natcliez  Indians.     In  the  meantime 
ydisHcnsions  and  revolts  arose  among  liis  troops,  which  im- 
Ipaired   the  success  of  the  expedition,  and  necessitated   a 
V  retrograde   march  to  the  coast,  where   vessels  soon   alter 
>' arrived  and  cai'ried  the  survivors  back  to  Mexico. 
I  llencotbrth  the  MissiHsi[)pi  Iliver  apjtears  to  have  been 

I  neglected  and  tbrgotten   by  the  Spaniards,  although  they 
^liad  exi>lored  it  for  nearly  a  thousand  miles,  and  were  ac- 
jquainted  with  at  least  two  of  its  principal  western  tributa- 

For  full,  if  not  uIwnyH  trust  worthy  aocomitH  of  De  Hoto's  expedi- 
[tion,  HtH*  the  contcnipcirary  chronicles  of   l?ie(hnii  or  IMednra,  of  the 

ejrn,  sevj.ral    Knglish  ver- 


{(ientlei  uin  of  Elvas,  and  of  (Jarcilasso  de  la  V 

Bionsof  wlncihare  in  print.    That  of  Biodnia  Im  the  shortest,  and  per 
[ha|iH  the  most  autlientio. 
3 


rirTirf-ffrtt-  -tt- 


84 


French  Discovery  of  the  Northwest. 


¥m 


'I'  ii 


!!'i!!:i!i|i 


Ties.  It  was  afterward  laid  down  on  their  maps  of  West 
Florida  as  a  comparatively  unimportant  stream,  and  was 
not  always  distinguished  by  its  original  Spanish  name;  nor 
is  it  certain  that  any  ship  of  that  nation  had  ever  entered 
and  ascended  the  great  river  from  the  sea.  Spain  thus 
abandoned  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi  to  its  primitive 
wildness  and  savagery,  partly  because  of  the  great  difficulty 
of  penetrating  the  country,  but  chieliy  for  the  reason  that 
no  El  Dorado,  no  glittering  gold,  was  found  in  all  that 
semi-tropical  region  to  attract  and  satisfy  Spanish  cupidity. 

Nearly  a  hundred  years  had  elapsed  after  Soto's  prinuil 
discovery,  when  Jean  Nicolet,  an  intrepid  French  roya(/ent\ 
reached  the  vicinity  of  a  northern  affluent  of  the  Mississip})!. 
John  Nicolet  was  a  son  of  Thonuis  Nicolet,  of  Cherl)ourg. 
France,  lie  came  to  Canada  as  a  youth  in  1618,  and  was 
shortly  after  sent  by  Champlain  to  reside  with  the  barbar- 
ous Algonipiins  on  the  Isle  des  AUamettes,  situated  in  the 
Ottawa  River,  above  Chaudiere  Falls.  He  stayed  with  them 
two  years,  following  them  in  their  periodical  hunts,  partak- 
ing of  their  fatigues  and  privations,  and  often  suffering 
keenly  from  the  pangs  of  hunger  and  the  brutality  of  the 
savages.  In  the  meantime,  however,  he  acquired  an  inti- 
mate knowledge  of  the  Algonquin  language,  then  generally 
spoken  on  both  the  Ottawa  River  and  the  northern  banks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence.  Nicolet  afterward  went  to  residi' 
among  tlie  Nipissings,  on  the  shores  of  the  lake  of  that 
name,  with  wliom  he  remained  about  nine  years.  Here  he 
lived  as  an  Indian,  speaking  their  harsh  tongue,  having  his 
own  little  cabin  and  establishment,  and  doing  his  own  fish- 
ing and  trading.  But  he  still  continued  a  Frenchman  and 
a  Catholic,  and  at  length  returned  to  the  confines  of  civili- 
zation, because,  as  he  said,  *' he  could  not  live  without  the 
sacraments,"  which  were  denied  him  in  the  depths  of  the 
wilderness. 

After  the  repossession  of  Canada  by  the  French  in  July, 
1632,  the  Sieur  Nicolet  was  employed  as  a  (iommissary  and 
Indian  interpreter  for  the  company  that  governed  the  col- 
ony.    In  1634,  or  tliereabouts,  he  was  sent  as  an  agent  or 


Jean  Nicolet. 


35 


West 
i  wiiH 
;;  nor 
itered 

I  thus 
mitive 
Henlty 
n  tluit 

II  that 
pidity. 

priiiud 
11  age  I  ()\ 
ih8ip]>i. 
•boui'i?. 
lid  WHS 
barbar- 
l  hi  the 
th  them 
[partak- 
iftering 
of  the 
ail  iiiti- 
iieraUv 
banks 
)  res'uU' 
of  that 
lere  lu' 
niig  his 

'11  tirtll- 

liaii  aii'l 
If  eivili- 
lout  the 
of  tho 


liii  July, 
lary  and     -^j^ 
]he  col- 
Igeut  or 


embassador  to  the  Wimiebagoes,  wlio  dwelt  near  the  head 
of  Green  Buy  of  Luke  Michigun.*  They  hud  quarreled  with 
the  Nez  Perces,  or  Beaver  Indians,  whose  hunting-grounds 
lay  to  the  north  of  Lake  Huron,  and  who  were  friendly  to- 
ward the  French,  Nicolet  was  charged,  among  other 
things,  to  negotiate  a  peace  with  those  discordant  tribes. 
But  the  main  object  of  his  expedition  appears  to  have  been 
to  solve  the  problem  of  a  western  and  more  direct  route  to 
China,  which  country  was  supposed  to  be  situated  not  far 
beyond  the  most  westerly  of  the  great  lakes. 

Agreeably  to  the  best  accredited  account  of  his  cele- 
brated journey,  Nicolet  set  out  in  a  bark  canoe,  w^ith  seven 
Huron  Indians  for  guides  and  huntsmen,  and  ascended 
the  Ottawa  River  to  a  station  above  Allumette  Island. 
Turning  thence  to  the  west,  he  traveled  by  way  of  Lake 
Nii)is.siiig  to  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake  Huron,  and  followed 
its  rugged  and  forbidding  coast  up  to  the  Rapids  of  St. 
Mary,  where  he  held  interviews  with  the  natives  of  those 
parts.  Returning  down  tho  strait  of  that  name,  he  next  en- 
tered and  passed  through  the  Straits  of  Michilimackinac — 
about  three  leagues  in  length — emerging  on  the  watery  ex- 
panse of  Lake  Michigan,  or  Lake  of  Illinois,  as  it  was  first 
known  by  the  French,  of  which  he  was  entitled  to  the 

■"In  no  record,  contemporaneous  or  later,"  says  Mr,  Buttt;rfield, 
"  Ih  the  date  of  his  journey  thither  given,  except  approximately.  The 
fact  of  Nicolet  having  made  the  journey  to  the  Winnebagoes  is  first  no- 
ticed by  (Father;  Yimont,  in  the  Relation  of  1G40,  p.  35.  He  says:  "  Le 
iIhUi'  ray  tout  maintenant  le  cote  du  md,  ie  diray  an  paaaant,  que  le  Sieur  Ni- 
roh't,  interpretfr  eii  langne  Ahjonq^nne  et  Huronne  pour  ^femeur8  de  In  Nouvellf 
France,  ?«' '«  donnc  les  noms  de  ces  natiom  qiCil  a  visiU'e  luij  memne  pour  la 
plupart  dans  leur  pays^  tous  ces  peuples  eiitendant  L'AlgoiKpiine,  excepte  lea 
irnronns,  que  ont  vue  langue  d  part  comme  aum,  les  Oitinipigou  ou  gens  de 
liter.''  The  year  of  Nicolet's  visit,  h  will  be  noticed,  is  left  undetermined. 
Tho  extract  only  shows  that  it  must  have  been  made  in  or  before  1639." 
Mr.  Butterfield  then  goes  on  to  show,  pretty  conclusively,  that  Nicolet 
made  his  voyage  to  the  northwest  in  l(i34,  returning  thence  the  follow- 
ing year.  Mr.  Parkman,  however,  fixes  the  tinie  of  the  journey  be- 
tween 1635  and  1638,  and  Mr,  Shea  "u  1639.  To  the  last  named  scholar 
is  ascribed  the  credit  of  liaving  been  the  first  to  identify  the  "  Ouinipi- 
gou,  or  Gens  de  Mer,"  of  Father  Vimont  with  the  Winnebagoes,  Hee 
"  Nicolet's  Discovery  of  the  Northwest,"  by  C.  W.  Butterfteld  (Cincinnati, 
1881),  pp.  42-45,  and  accompanying  notes. 


■'S*i< 


36 


French  Discovery  of  the  Northwest. 


honor  of  discovery.  After  uoidly  threading  his  course 
around  its  wild,  northern  shores  to  the  Bay  of  Noquet,  an 
arm  of  Green  Bay,  he  made  his  way  over  the  hitter  to  the 
mouth  of  a  stream  flowing  in  from  the  west,  where  he  met 
a  tribe  of  Indians  called  the  Menominees.  From  thence  he 
resumed  his  voyage  up  Green  Bay  toward  the  Winnebagoes, 
who,  having  received  word  of  his  coming,  had  sent  a  num- 
ber of  their  young  braves  to  meet  him  and  escort  him  to 
their  villages. 

Nicolet  found  the  Winnebagoes  to  l)e  a  numerous  peo- 
ple, living  in  bark  and  skin  covered  lodges,  and  speaking  a 
guttural  language  radically  different  from  that  of  the  Huron 
and  Algonquin  Indians.  They  belonged  to  the  great  fam- 
ily of  the  Sioux  or  Dakotas,  and  were  the  only  l)ranch  of 
that  stock  who  dwelt  so  far  eastward  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. Nicolet's  arrival  created  a  great  sensation  among 
the  Winnebagoes,  for  he  w.as  the  first  white  man  to  visit 
them,  and  four  or  five  thousand  of  the  tribe  assembled  to 
greet  him.  Each  of  the  j)rincipal  chiefs  gave  a  feast  in 
his  honor,  at  one  of  which  a  hundred  and  twenty  beavers 
are  said  to  have  been  served.  On  taking  leave  of  the 
Winnebagoes,  he  journeyed  for  six  days  up  Fox  River, 
and  thence  passed  through  Lake  Winnebago  to  the  homes 
of  the  Maskoutens,  or  Mascoutins,  who  afterward  became 
banded  with  the  Miamis.  It  seems  that  the  Sauks  and 
Foxes  had  not  as  yet  migrated  from  the  East  to  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  Hearing  from  the  Mascoutins  of  a 
nation  called  the  Illinois,  we  are  told  that  he  continued  his 
progress  southward  and  visited  some  of  the  villages  of 
that  people.  While  exploring  the  Fox  River,  he  also 
heard  of  the  Wisconsin  ;  but  as  the  account  given  by  him 
of  this  tributary  of  the  Mississippi  is  vague  and  confused, 
it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  he  either  saw  or  navigated 
any  part  of  it. 

"  It  has  been  extensively  published,"  says  Mr.  Butter- 
field,  "  that  Nicolet  did  reach  the  Wisconsin,  and  float 
down  its  channel  to  within  three  days  (sail)  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. Now  Nicolet,  in  speaking  of  a  large  river  upon 
which  he  had  sailed,  evidently  intended  to  convey  the  idea 


'"'i 


ast  in 

,-Ajj 

savers 

)f  the 

^vwU 

River, 

'\N 

lomes 

■  ;i« 

ecame 

-M 

8  and 

M 

is  sec- 

'■1 

3  of  a 

'  4"  •[ 

ed  his 

res  of 

i   also 

y  him 

fused. 

igated 

;  utter- 

float 

H 

^issis- 

« 

upon 

'v'lL^H 

e  idea 

Jean  Nicolet.  m 

of  its  being  connected  with  tlie  lake,  that  is,  with  Green 
Bay.  Hence  he  must  have  spoken  of  Fox  River.  But 
Viniont  (Relation,  1640,  page  36)  understood  him  as  saying 
that  had  he  sailed  three  more  days  on  a  great  river  which 
flows  from  that  lake,  he  would  have  found  the  sea,"  or 
"great  water"  of  the  Indians. 

On  his  return  trip,  Nicolet  stopped  to  form  the 
acquaintance  of  the  Poutouatamis  (Pottawatomies),  who 
occupied  the  islands  in  the  mouth  of  Green  Bay,  and  there 
met  with  a  friendly  reception.  Sliortly  after  arriving  at 
Quebec  from  his  tour  to  the  far  west,  he  w^as  sent  to  the 
Three  Rivers,  where  he  resumed  and  continued  his  duties 
as  commissary  and  Indian  interpreter. 

On  the  22d  of  October,  1637,  Jean  Nicolet  was  mar- 
ried in  Quebec  to  Marguerite  C/Ouillard,  a  god-child  of  vSam- 
uel  de  Champlain,  and  by  this  union  became  the  father  of 
one  child,  a  daughter.  Four  years  later  (1641),  he  was 
associated  with  Father  Paul  Ragueneau  in  making  a  treaty 
with  a  large  band  of  the  Iroquois,  who,  having  entered 
Canada,  were  threatening  the  post  of  Three  Kivers. 

"About  the  first  of  October,  1642,  he  was  ailed  down 
to  Quebec  to  take  the  place  of  his  brother-in-law,  Olivier  de 
Tardift',  who  was  general  commissary  of  the  Hundred 
Partners  or  Associates,  and  who  sailed  on  the  7th  of  that 
month  to  Old  France.  The  change  was  very  agreeable  to 
Nicolet,  but  he  did  not  enjoy  it  long;  for  in  less  than  a 
month  after  his  arrival,  in  endeavoring  to  make  a  trip  to 
iiis  former  place  of  residence,  to  release  an  Indian  prisoner 
in  possession  of  a  band  of  Algonquins  who  were  slowly 
torturing  him,  his  zeal  uad  humanity  cost  him  his  life. 
On  the  27tli  of  October,  he  embarked  at  Quebec,  near  7 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  in  the  launch  of  M.  de  Savigny, 
which  was  headed  for  Three  Rivers.  He  had  not  yet 
reached  Sillery  (four  miles  above  Quebec),  when  a  north- 
east squall  raised  a  terrible  tempest  on  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  filled  the  boat.  Those  in  it  did  not  immediately 
drown.  Nicolet  had  time  to  say  to  M.  de  Savigny,  '  Save 
yourself,  sir,  you  can  swim ;  I  can  not.  I  am  going  to 
God ;  I  recommend  to  you  my  wife  and  daughter.'     The 


38 


French  Discovery  of  the  Northwest. 


il! 


wild  waves  tore  the  men  one  after  another  from  the  boat, 
wliich  had  capsized  and  floated  against  a  rock ;  and  four 
of  the  number,  inchiding  Nicolet,  sank  to  rise  no  more."  * 

Thus  was  overwhelmed  in  the  surging  billows  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  while  on  an  errand  of  Christian  charity,  the 
Sieur  Jean  Nicolet,  the  first  European,  whose  slender  canoe 
cleaved  the  limpid  waters  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  thefirst  who 
is  known  to  have  set  foot  in  the  level  prairies  of  Southern 
Wisconsin.  His  untimely  death  was  regretted  in  common 
by  his  countrymen  and  the  red  men.  The  story  of  his  ad- 
venturous yet  useful  life  has  been  worthily  written,  and  his 
memory  survives  in  the  name  of  a  county  and  town  in 
Lower  Canada. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  the  Mississippi  River,  drain- 
ing as  it  dees  the  heart  of  the  continent,  should  have  re- 
mained so  long  unknown  throughout  its  course  to  the 
English  colo  .ists  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard ;  but  they 
evinced  no  early  disposition  to  venture  beyond  the  moun- 
tains that  walled  them  in  on  the  west.  The  vague  story  of 
an  English  voyage  up  the  great  river  in  1048,  has  found 
some  advocates,  though  it  is  quite  improbable,  considering 
the  fact  that  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  was  then  a  closed  sea  to 
all  European  vessels  save  the  Spanish.  In  a  book,  descrip- 
tive of  the  Province  of  Carolina,  published  by  Dr.  Daniel 
Coxe,  in  London,  in  1727,  it  is  affirmed  that  a  certain  Col- 
onel Wood,  residing  at  the  Falls  of  James  River,  Virginia, 
discovered  different  branches  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississipjii 
Rivers  between  the  years  1654  and  1664.  "  It  is  possible, 
however  (says  Col.  R.  T.  Durrett,  in  his  elaborate  historical 
address  on  the  anniversary  of  Kentucky's  Centennial  of  State- 
hood), that  Dr.  Coxe  has  credited  Col.  Wood  with  an  ex- 
ploration that  was  made  by  Captain  Thomas  Batts,  at  a  little 
later  date.  In  1671,  Gen.  Abraham  Wood,  by  the  authority 
of  Governor  Berkeley,  sent  Captain  Batts  with  a  party  of 
explorers  to  the  west  of  the  Appalachian  Mountains,  in 
search  of  a  river  that  might  lead  across  the  continent  to- 


*"  Discovery  of  the  Northwest  hy  Jean  Nicolet;  with  a  Sketch  of 
his  Life  and  Explorations."     By  C.  W.  Bntterfield,  pp.  82-84. 


Englhh  Attempts  to  Reach  the  Mmissippl. 


39 


:oricai 
State- 
Im  cx- 
a  little 
|horit\ 
lirty  of 
[iiB,  ill 
lilt  to- 


ward China.  The  journal  of  tlieir  route  is  rendered  ob- 
scure by  meager  descriptions,  and  the  change  of  names 
since  it  was  written ;  but  it  is  possible  that  they  went  to 
tlie  Roanoke,  and,  ascending  it  to  its  headwaters,  crossed 
over  to  the  sources  of  the  Kanawha,  which  they  descended," 
probably  to  the  Ohio.  But  it  does  not  appear  that  either 
of  those  Virginia  explorers  ever  penetrated  beyond  the  re- 
gion of  the  Upper  Ohio. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  the  French  Jesuits  and  fur- 
traders  were  pushing  deeper  and  farther  into  the  wilder- 
ness of  the  northern  lakes.  About  the  year  1634,  three 
Jesuit  priests,  Brebeuf,  Daniel  and  Lalemant,  planted  a 
misi.ion  among  the  Ilurons  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Simcoe, 
and  another  on  the  southeastern  border  of  Lake  Huron. 
In  1641  the  Fathers,  Isaac  Jogues  and  Charles  Raymbault, 
embarked  upon  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake  Huron,  for  the 
Sault  de  Ste  Marie,  wliere  they  arrived  after  a  tedious  canoe 
passage  of  seventeen  days.  They  were  met  there  by  a  con- 
course of  some  two  thousand  natives  (probably  Ojibwas), 
who  had  been  ai)[>rised  of  their  coming,  and  to  whom  they 
proclaimed  the  mysterios  of  the  Romish  faith.  Father 
"  Raymbault  died  in  the  wilderness  in  1642,  while  jiursuing 
liis  missionary  labors  and  discoveries.  The  same  year, 
Jogues  and  Bressani  were  captured  and  tortured  by  the  l!i- 
diaiis.  Then  followed  the  havoc  and  destruction  of  an  Iro- 
quois war,  by  which  the  Jesuit  missions  were  broken  up, 
and  many  of  their  priests  were  either  tortured  or  put  to 
death.  "Literally  did  those  zealous  missionaries  'take 
their  lives  in  tlieir  hands,'  and  lay  them  a  willing  sacrifice 
on  the  altar  of  their  faith." 

For  a  number  of  years,  therefore,  all  further  French 
I  x}»loration  was  arrested.  "At  length,  in  1658,  two  daring 
Iraders  penetrated  to  Lake  Superior,  wintered  there,  and 
brought  back  tales  of  the  ferocious  Sioux,  and  of  a  great 
western  river  on  which  they  dwelt.  Two  years  later  (1660), 
tlie  aged  Jesuit  (Rene),  Menard,*  attempted  to  plant  a  mis- 

*  Recent  publications,"  says  tlu'  late  John  (iihnary  Shea,  "have 
placed  a  Jesuit  mission  on  the  lake  (Superior),  and  even  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, as  early  as  1653 ;  but  the  Relations  have  not  the  slij,'lite(st  allusion 


m 


French  Discovery  of  the  Northwest. 


•lilfir 


ilii! 


jiiiip^ 


I'liUll 


INilili 


sion  on  the  southern  shore  of  that  lake,  but  perished  in  the 
forest  by  famine  or  the  tomahawk.  Allouez  succeeded  him, 
explored  a  part  of  Lake  Superior,  and  heard  in  his  turn  of 
the  Sioux  and  their  great  river,  the  '  Mesissipi.'  More  and 
more  the  thoughts  of  the  Jesuits,  and  not  of  the  Jesuitn 
alone,  dwelt  on  this  mysterious  stream.  Through  what  re- 
gions did  it  How,  and  whither  would  it  lead  them — to  the 
South  Sea,  or  the  Sea  of  Virginia;  to  Mexico,  Japan,  or 
China  ?  The  problem  was  soon  to  be  solved,  and  the  myss- 
tery  revealed."* 

The  dittereut  enterprises  of  the  Jesuits  and  fur-tradorn 
having  made  known  the  country  of  the  northwest,  the 
French-Canadian  officials  took  steps  to  extend  over  it  the 
jurisdiction  and  authority  of  the  King  of  France.  Pursu- 
ant to  this  end,  on  September  3,  1670,  Jean  Talon,t  the  ac- 
tive a^d  able  intendant  of  New  France,  selected  and  com- 
missioned Simon  Francois  Daumont,  Sieur  de  St.  Lussou, 
as  his  deputy  to  go  in  search  of  cop'  ^r  mines,  and  to  hold 
a  general  conference  with  the  indi^  is  tribes  about  the 
outlet  of  Lake  Superior.  To  avoiu  any  pecuniary  outlay 
on  the  part  of  the  provincial  government,  the  resources  ot 
which  were  rather  limited,  it  was  arranged  that  St.  Lussoii 
should  remunerate  himself  for  the  expenses  of  his  expedi- 
tion by  trading  with  the  Indians.     He  set  out  from  Quebec 

to  the  fact,  aud  speak  of  Menard  as  the  first.  The  Jesuits  named  (Fatiier 
Dug6rre  and  otliers)  as  being  concerned  are  not  mentioned  in  the  jour- 
nal of  the  superior  of  the  mission,  nor  in  any  printed  Relation,  nor  in 
Ducreux,  nor  in  Le  Clercq.  Tlie  fact  of  a  mission  at  Tamaroa  prior  to 
Marquette's  is  perfectly  incompatible  with  the  Relations,  and  if  estab- 
lished would  destroy  their  authority." — Shea's  History  of  the  Discovery 
and  p]xploration  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  (N.  Y.,  1853),  p.  23,  note. 
*Parkman's  Introduction  to  his  "  La  Salle  and  the  Great  West." 
tJean  Baptiste  Talon  was  the  second  intendant  of  New  France,  aud 
the  first,  we  believe,  under  the  royal  government  of  the  country,  which 
prospered  under  his  administration.  He  was  intendant,  or  rather  su- 
perintendent of  justice,  police,  and  finance— the  position  being  next  iu 
rank  and  dignity  to  that  of  governor.  He  was  first  appointed  to  this 
office  in  1663,  and  served  till  1668,  and  again  from  1670  to  1672,  when  lie 
returned  to  Old  France  and  accepted  the  position  of  principal  secretary 
in  the  king's  household.  Talon  was  born  in  Picardy  in  1625,  and  died 
at  Versailles  in  1691.  His  portrait  in  oil  is  preserved  in  the  Hotel-Dieu 
of  Quebec,  and  presents  hiui  as  a  handsome  and  courtly  gentleman. 


witl 
full 
com 

ous 
of  J 
men 
coul 

,  he  li 
und( 
qual 
Ilei 

•  viou 

the! 

and 

nati^ 

ing 

meet 

Mari 

ward 

Indii 

by  hi 

send 

of  16' 

unde 

11  own 

set  o: 

the  w 

the  51 

in  ad-! 

ing  c 

groun 

and  I 

■  prised 

sundr 

I  writte 

arrive 


p 


St.  Lusson's  Conference  with  Western  Tribes. 


41 


with  a  company' of  fifteen  men,  in  several  canoes,  taking  a 
full  supply  of  goods  and  other  needed  articles,  and  was  ac- 
companied by  Nicliolas  Perrot  as  Indian  interpreter. 

According  to  Parkman,  few  names  are  more  conspicu- 
ous in  the  animls  of  the  early  Canadian  royagcurs  tlian  that 
of  P*errot ;  not  because  of  the  superiority  of  his  achieve- 
ments over  those  of  many  others,  but  for  the  reason  that  he 
could  write,  and  left  behind  him  a  tolerable  record  of  what 
he  had  seen  and  done.  Like  Nicolet,  Perrot  was  a  man  of 
undoubted  courage  and  address,  and  exhibited  both  of  these 
qualities  in  his  dealings  with  the  various  tribes  of  red  men. 
He  was  now  about  twenty-six  years  of  age,  and  had  pre- 
'  viously  been  in  the'  employ  of  the  Jesuits. 

The  Sieur  de  St.  Lusson  and  party  wintered  on  or  near 
the  Manatoulin  Islands,  in  the  northern  part  of  Huron  Lake, 
and  occupied  the  time  in  hunting  and  bartering  with  the 
natives  for  their  furs.  >[eanwhile  Perrot,  after  first  send- 
ing messages  to  the  tubes  of  the  north,  inviting  them  to 
meet  the  deputy  of  the  Canadian  intendant  at  Sault  de  Ste 
Marie  in  the  ensuing  spring,  continued  his  voyage  west- 
ward to  Green  Bay,  and  pressed  the  same  invitation  on  the 
Indian  nations  inhabiting  that  ulterior  region.  Flattered 
by  his  visit  and  personal  attentions,  they  all  promised  to 
send  deputations  as  requested.  Accordingly,  in  the  spring 
of  1671,  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  Pottawatomies  (who  also 
undertook  to  represent  the  Miamis  in  the  absence  of  their 
own  old  chief),  the  Menominees,  Winnebagoes  and  Sacs, 
set  ofi  in  their  light  canoes,  and  paddled  their  way  over 
the  watery  plains  to  the  Sault,  whither  they  arrived  about 
the  5th  of  May.  St.  Lusson  and  his  Frenchmen  were  there 
ill  advance  to  receive  them.  The  Indians  of  the  surround- 
ing countrj'^  now  came  flocking  in  from  their  hunting 
grounds,  attracted  in  part  by  the  fisheries  at  the  rapids, 
and  partly  by  the  polite  messages  of  Perrot.  They  com- 
]tri8ed  the  Crees,  Monsonies,  Amikoues,  Nipissings,  and 
sundry  other  petty  tribes,  with  names  too  barbarous  to  be 
written. 

When  the  representatives  of  some  fourteen  tribes  had 
arrived,  and  after  the  usual  feasting  and  sleeps,  St.  Lusson 


'I 


42 


French  Discovery  of  the  Northwest. 


prepared  to  eyeeute  the  special  commission  with  which  he 
had  been  charged.  Accordingly,  on  the  14th  of  June,  in 
presence  of  the  assembled  Iiidians  and  Frenclimen,  includ- 
ing four  Jesuit  priests*  in  the  vestments  of  their  office,  he 
proceeded  to  take  formal  possession,  in  the  king's  name,  of 
Sainte  Marie  du  Sault,  as  also  of  Lakes  Huron  and  Supe- 
rior, the  Manatoulin  Islands,  and  all  the  countries,  lakes, 
rivers  and  streams,  contiguous  or  adjacent  thereto.  A  tall 
wooden  cross  was  now  erected,  for  the  adoration  of  the 
natives,  and  close  by  its  side  was  planted  a  stout  cedar  post, 
to  which  was  affixed  a  metal  plate  engraven  with  the  royal 
arms  of  the  Bourbons.  A  hymn  was  then  sung,  and  one 
of  the  Jesuit  priests  offered  up  a  prayer  for  the  King  of 
France;  after  whicli  the  Frenchmen  discharged  their  mus- 
kets and  cried  vivc  le  roi.  When  these  formalities  were 
ended.  Father  Allouez  addressed  the  Indians  in  a  solenni 
harangue  '..i  their  own  language,  to  which  they  stolidly  lis- 
tened while  smoking  their  stone  pipes.  Soon  after  the 
French  party  had  left  tl)i>  place  of  assembly,  some  of  those 
coppcr-hued  sons  of  the  forest  removed  the  metallic  plato 
from  the  post  to  which  it  had  been  nailed,  and  approj)natod 
it  to  their  own  use.  This  was  done,  says  Mr.  Parkman, 
not  so  much  from  any  knowledge  of  the  true  im[)ort  of  the 
pljite,  as  from  their  superstitious  fear  of  its  influence  as  a 
charm.  i:iut  the  general  effect  of  this  notable  convocation 
and  conference  witli  the  indigenous  tribes  of  the  northwest 
was  favoral)le  to  the  French  commercial  and  political  inter 
eats,  as  well  as  to  tlieir  designs  for  the  future  exploration 
of  the  great  riVer  and  regions  beyond.  As  a  part  of  the 
history  of  this  expedition,  it  is  stated  that  tlie  costly  i)res- 
ents  made  by  St.  Lusjjio'.  to  tlie  Indian  chiefs,  and  other 
necessary  exp<Mises,  were  more  than  repaid  by  the  gifts  of 
valuable  furs  which  he  received  from  them  in  return. 


*Tlu'  names  of  theno  pricHls  were,  Claude  Dablon,  HUi)erior  of  the 
miHsions  on  the  upper  lakeH ;  (ijibriel  DreuilleteH,  Claude  Allouez,  and 
Ivouifi  Andr<^.  Louis  Joliet  Ik  iiu'nti<<ncd  uh  uMinn^  the  French  men 
present  on  the  oecasiou.  MarqueUc  was  away  at  the  Mission  of  St, 
Esprit,  on  Lake  Suj)erior,  but  was  toiujtelled  to  abandon  it  during  that 
year. 


Other  French  Enterprises. 


48 


ich  he 
lue,  in 
nclud- 
ice,  he 
i,me,  of 
Supe- 
hikes, 
A  tall 
of  the 
ir  post, 
e  royal 
nd  one 

\\ui£.    of 

ir  niUK- 
i8  were 
solemn 
idly  lif- 
ter the 
)f  those 
10  pUite 
])riate(l 
rkiiian, 
t  of  the 
ice  UH  a 
oeation 
rtliwost 
il  inter 
n'atioii 
of  the 
,'  I » res- 
other 
giftH  of 


or  (»f  the 
)IU'Z,  ttiitl 

•ncliint'ii 
1)11  of  St. 

ring  tlmt 


It  is  deserving  of  mention  here,  that  two  years  before 
this  time,  La  Salle,  then  a  young  and  little  known  man, 
had  projected  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi.  In  July, 
1669,  he  undertook,  at  his  own  expense,  a  journey  to  the 
southwest  for  that  purpose.  Proceeding  with  a  company 
from  Montreal  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  through  Lake 
Ontario  to  Lake  Erie,  he  thence  rambled  southward  and 
discovered  the  Ohio  River,  which  he  followed  down  to  the 
falls  or  rapids  at  what  is  now  Louisville.  A  year  or  two 
after  his  return  from  this  expedition,  he  is  said  to  have 
ascended  the  great  lakes,  and,  pushing  on  to  and  beyond 
the  southern  extremity  of  Lake  Michigan,  discovered  the 
niinois  River,  or  one  of  its  constituent  branches.  But  of 
this,  more  hereafter. 

Such,  in  general,  was  the  progress  of  French  explora- 
tion in  the  interior  of  this  continent,  and  such  was  still  the 
limited  state  of  their  geographical  knowledge  in  regard  to 
the  Mississippi  River  and  its  tributaries,  down  to  the  time 
0f  eJoliet's  and  Marquette's  voyage  of  discovery  in  1673 ; 
prior  to  whicli  it  is  not  known  that  any  "  pale  face  "  had 
fiver  readied,  or  looked  ai)on,  the  main  trunk  of  that  liquid 
highway,  above  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.* 


Father  Claude  Dabloii,  whose  name  tinds  repeated  mention  in  tht'He 
panes,  merits  something  more  than  a  passing  notice.  He  came  as  a 
mlHsionary  to  Canada  in  1055,  and  was  at  oiuu!  sent  to  Onondaga  (New 
York),  where  \w  remained,  with  one  short  interval  of  absunce,  until  the 
iKsion  there  was  broken  up  in  1(158.  Three  years  later,  he  and  Gabriel 
reuilletes  attempted  to  reach  Hudson's  Bay,  by  the  Saguenay  Uiver, 
lUt  were  stop])ed  at  the  sources  of  the  Nekouba  by  Inxiuoih  war  pnr- 
ies.  In  l()(i8,  Dablon  followed  Father  ManpUitte  to  the  foot  of  Lake 
iujierior,  assisted  in  founding  the  mission  of  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie,  visited 
tircen  Bay,  and,  in  company  with  Father  Allouez,  reached  the  sourci^s 
of  the  Wisconsin.  Returning  thence  to  Quebec,  he  was  made  superior 
1){  all  the  Canadian  missions,  and  held  this  otlice  with  intervals  ♦ill 


*  It  is  claimed  that  one  Pierre  Esprit  Hadison,  a  noted  myageiir  and 
trader,  reached  the  Upper  Mississip])!  in  1()58-5U;  but,  if  so,  he  never 
;gave  the  world  the  benefit  of  his  discovery.  An  account  of  hii*  alleged 
(Bxplorations  has  been  published  somewhat  recently. 


m 


■"«*«?i«»s«M»«a 


44 


Father  Dahlon. 


.  Mill 


lUflfl 
I  i 


III 


iil'ii 


i| 


(I  "III     !' 

fl'  , 


about  1693.    He  was  still  alive  in  1694,  but  the  year  of  his  death  is 
U'  linown. 

As  the  head  of  the  Jesuit  missions,  Father  Dablon  contributed  in 
no  small  degree  to  their  extension,  and,  above  all,  to  he  exploration  oi 
the  Mississippi  by  Marquette  and  Joliet.  He  published  the  Relations 
of  1670-71,  and  72,  with  their  accompanying  map  of  Lake  Superior, 
and  prepared  for  the  press  those  of  1672-73,  and  1673-79,  which,  to- 
gether with  his  narratives  of  Marquette  and  Allouez,  remained  a  long 
while  in  manuscript,  for  the  reason  that  the  pubdcation  of  the  Rela- 
tions was  interdicted  in  1673.  He  was  versed  alike  in  the  learning  oi 
the  cloister  and  in  the  mysteries  of  the  forest,  and,  according  to  Dr 
Shea,  his  writings  comprise  the  most  valuable  collection  of  topography 
of  the  northwest,  which  have  come  down  to  our  day.         , 


TH 
T< 

idreacb 
tiated 
eiesipp 
Louis 
one  of 
ButM 
witiies! 
had  pi 
and   fa 
ments  I 
to  tlie 
to  be  ai 
ae  a  re 
prolta))! 
getic  m 
thority. 
No 
J&uade, 
.ikla  a8 
l|)ii^^ed 
j|overiic 
Ibiiiewli 
^iie;  b 
.#K;ed  ii 
irutivo 
%\»  eiieii 
idB  cour 
fkvorite 
Hiw  po\v 


Talon  and  Frontenac. 


46 


CHAPTER  III. 


Rela- 


1673-1675. 
THE   GREAT    RIVER   VOYAGE   OF   JOLIET    A?JD    MARQUETTE.      " 

To  Jean  Talon,  the  able  and  enterprising  intendant, 
already  referred  to,  belongs  the  chief  credit  of  having  ini- 
tiated the  movement  for  the  French  discovery  of  the  Mis- 
BiBsippi.  To  effect  this  long  desired  object,  he  selected 
Louis  Juliet,  of  Quebec,  to  conduct  the  expedition,  with 
one  of  the  Jesuit  priests  for  his  companion  and  assistant. 
But  M.  Talon  did  not  remain  in  Canada  long  enough  to 
witness  the  comi>letion  of  tlie  bold  undertaking  which  he 
had  projected,  and  which  was  prolific  of  such  important 
and  far-reaching  results.  Owing  to  repeated  disagree- 
ments between  himself  and  (governor  Oourcelles,  in  regard 
to  tlie  jurisdiction  of  their  respective  offices,  both  requested 
to  be  and  were  recalled.  Failing  health  was  also  assigned 
m  a  reason  for  the  governor's  retirement.  It  is  not  im- 
probable that  the  intendant,  as  the  more  brainy  and  ener- 
getic man  of  the  two,  had  trenched  upon  the  governor's  au- 
thority.: 

Not  long  afterward,  in  the  autumn  of  1672,  Louis  de 
J3"'»de,  Comtede  Palluan  et  Frontenac  was  sent  out  to  Can- 
adw  as  the  successor  of  Courcellcs.  Count  Frontenac  be- 
longed to  the  high  n<>hlvst<e  of  France,  and  was  the  ninth 
governor  of  the  colony  after  Champlaiti.  lie  was  now 
(jonu'wliat  past  middle  life,  and  said  to  be  broken  in  for- 
tune; but  he  was  a  man  of  rare  accomplislnnents,  exj)eri- 
eu't'd  in  statecraft,  and  endowed  with  uncommon  adminis- 
trsitive  ability.  Although  haughty  and  intolerant  toward 
his  enemies,  he  was  ardently  devoted  to  his  friends;  while 
hin  courtly  manners  and  brilliant  conversation  made  him  a 
faxorite  and  an  ornament  of  the  most  cultivated  circles. 
His  powers,  as  chief  execMitive,  were  derived  directly  from 


««J* 


-M'lT"''^'*'^"™"'^™'"'*^"^'''^'''""^'"^^'^"*''^^ 


■"Wte'.i.^ 


46 


Louis  Joliet. 


] 


nil 


iijiij 


w'm^\ 


the  crown,  and  were  absolute  within  the  sphere  of  his  ju- 
risdiction, though  partly  checked  by  those  of  the  intend- 
ant.  His  government  was  aggressive  and  stormy,  and  was 
beset  by  strong  opposition  and  enmity,  which  eventuated, 
after  ten  years,  in  his  recall  by  the  king.  But  when  the 
colony  had  been  brought  to  the  verge  of  "uin  under  the 
weak  administrations  of  LaBarre  and  De^onville,  Fronte- 
nac  was  reinstated  in  1689,  and  the  closing  term  of  lii> 
official  life  was  crowned  with  success,  and  with  the  plaudits 
of  his  countrymen,  He  died  in  Quebec  in  1698,  at  an  ad- 
vanced age,  and  was  interred  in  the  Church  of  the  Recollet 
Fathers,  to  whom  he  was  warmly  attached.  ' 

But  to  resume  our  principal  theme.  Upon  the  recom- 
mendation of  Talon,  before  his  iinal  departure  for  France, 
Governor  Frontenac  charged  Joliet  with  the  conduct  of 
the  exploration  of  the  Mississippi,  "  as  being  a  man  ex- 
perienced in  this  kind  of  discovery,  and  who  had  been  al- 
ready very  near  that  river,"  Apart  from  this  official 
sanction  of  the  enterprise,  about  all  the  aid  afforded  to  Jo- 
liet by  the  provincial  government,  was  one  assistant  ami. 
a  bark  canoe. 

Of  Louis  Joliet*  himself,  some  account  nuist  needs  W 
given  before  starting  him  on  liis  great  exploration.  Th* 
son  of  Jean  Joliet,  an  humble  mechanic,  he  was  born  ii, 
Quebec,  September  21, 1645.  When  of  proper  age,  he  wa< 
put  to  school  at  the  Jesuit  Seminary  in  his  native  town 
Here  he  made  excellent  progress  in  his  studies,  and  eviniiVi 
a  special  taste  for  hydrography.  (/om[)leting  his  curriculuii, 
at  the  seminary  in  1666,  he  took  some  minor  orders  in, 
the  church,  but  soon  discovered  tliat  he  had  no  call  to  tlie 
priesthood,  and  therefore  exchanged  the  cassock  for  tiu' 
trader's  garl).  In  October,  1667,  he  appears  to  have  sailed 
to  France,  and  remained  there  until  the  next  year.  Eiitoi- 
ing  upon  his  new  career  in  tlie  spring  of  1669,  he  was  8eiit| 
by  Intendant  Talon,  with  a  young  companion,  to  look  fori 
copper  mines  in  the  wild,  western  region  of  Lake  Supo 
rior,  but  returned  without  success  from  this  mission.    He| 

*Thi8  Burname  has   sovcral   synonyms,  as  for  example,  Jollyet, 
Jolliet,  and  Joliette;  but  it  is  usually  written  Joliet. 


•  furtl 
held 
spriii 
undo 

of  J( 
seenii 
tion  < 
was  t 
conv( 
the  li 
Jacqi 
guisli 
was  c 
ment 
motlK 
gen  ci- 
ne vol  I 
voliin 
becon 
bus  a] 
that  S( 
contiii 
tatioui 
,  Jesuit 
%this  St 
Cu[)()n  ii 
|Chami 
%niiHsioi 
ranct 
;o  Can 
M 
,nt  wil 
ly  his 
iidiani 
0th  ot 
;o  l)egi 
Fat] 
pril, 


)f 


his  ju- 
Lntend- 
lid  was 
tuated, 
len  the 
der  thv 
Fronte- 

of  hi? 
)laudit> 

ail  ad- 
ElecoUet 


iduct  ofP 
nan  ex- 
been  al-' 
official 
id  to  Jo- 
ant  and- 

leeds  l)t: 
m.    Th. 

born  iii 
I,  he  wib 
e  town 
evincvil 
•ricuhiii, 
rders  ii; 
11  to  tlh 
Vol-  tlu' 
e  Hail*''i 

Kilter- 

an  siMit 

ook  t'i'i 

,e  Su)"'- 

n.     11' 

fe,  .J  oily  ft, 


Father  Marqueite. 


47 


further  appears  to  have  been  present  at  the  grand  council 
held  by  St.  Lusson  with  the  Northwestern  tribes,  in  the 
spring  of  1671 ;  bu*^  whether  as  a  member  of  his  party  is 
undetermined. 

The  selection  of  Father  Marquette,  as  the  companion 
of  Joliet  in  the  proposed  exploration  of  the  Mississippi, 
seems  to  have  been  made  informally  on  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  superior  general  of  the  Jesuits  at  Quebec.  He 
was  doubtless  chosen  on  account  of  bis  known  zeal  for  the 
conversion  of  the  western  Indians,  and  his  proficiency  in 
the  languages  or  dialects  s[»oken  by  the  different  tribes. 
Jacques,  or  James  Marquette  came  of  a  family  distiur 
guished  in  the  walks  of  both  civil  and  military  life.  He 
was  cradled  in  the  ancient  town  of  Laon,  in  the  depart- 
ment of  Aisne,  France,  in  the  year  1637.  From  his  pious 
mother  {nk  Rose  de  la  Salle),  he  imbibed  an  ardent  and 
generous  temperament,  predisposed  alike  to  piety  and  lie- 
nevoleuce.  In  1654,  at  the  youthful  age  of  seventeen,  he 
voluntarily  joined  the  Society  of  Jesus,  of  which  he  was  to 
become  so  eminent  a  member.  After  two  years  of  studi- 
ous a[)plication,  he  was,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of 
that  society,  employed  a  part  of  his  time  in  teaching,  and 
continued  in  the  faithful  performance  of  his  unosten- 
tatious duties  until  1666,  when  he  was  ordained  to  the 
Jesuit  priesthood.  No  sooner  luid  he  been  invested  with 
this  sacred  (^niracter,  than  lie  showed  an  inclination  to  go 
u[)()n  a  foreign  mission  ;  but  the  ecclesiastical  Province  of 
Champagne,  in  which  lie  was  enrolled,  embraced  no  such 
mission.  He  was  therefore  transferred  to  the  Province  of 
France,  and  in  the  summer  of  that  same  year  (1666)  sailed 
to  Canada,  arriving  at  Quebec  on  the  20th  of  Se[)tember. 

Manpiette  was  now  twenty-nine  years  old,  ami  buoy- 
ant with  life,  health  and  hope.  At  first  he  was  destined 
by  his  superiors  to  the  mission  among  the  Montagnais 
Indians,  in  the  Valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence;  ami  on  the 
.  lt)th  of  October  he  started  from  Quebec  for  Three  Rivers, 
"to  begin  the  study  of  that  language  under  the  instruction 
of  Father  Gabriel  Drouilletes.  lie  remained  there  until 
April,  1668,  when,  his   original  doatination   having  been 


i 


48 


(rreat  Hiver  Voyage. 


¥■'  ''^•''J^t 


Ml:      111* 


ii! 


i;i!i 


■!    {; 


changed,  lie  was  ordered  to  prepare  for  the  Ottawa  mi' 
sion.     In  the  meantime  he  had  acquired  a  fair  knowledge 
of  the  Algonquin  tongue,  and  was  thus  qualified  for  enter- 
ing his  new  field  of  labor.     While  waiting  at  Montreal  for 
the  departure  of  the  Ottawa  flotilla,  he  met  a  party  of  the 
Nez  Perce  or  Beaver  Indians,  who  were  returning  to  their 
home  in  the  northwest.     Setting  out  with  them,  he  jour- 
neyed up  the  river  Ottawa,  through  Lake  Nipissing  and 
down  French  River  to  Lake  Huron,  and  thence  around  its 
northern  shore  to  the  outlet  of  Lake  fSupe.'ior      Here,  in 
company   with    Claude    Dablon,   a   zealous    and    intrepid 
brother  Jesuit,  he  founded  the  mission  of  St.  Mary  of  the 
Falls,  otherwise   known    as    Sault   de   Ste  Marie.      After 
building  a  log  house  and  chapel,  and  converting  a  number 
of  the  savages  to  an  outward  belief  in  Christianity,  Mar- 
quette was  directed  to  proceed   to  La  Pointe  St.  Esprit, 
situated  on  the  Bay  of  Chegoimegon,  near  the  southwestern 
corner  of  Lake  Superior,  and  arrived  thither  September  13, 
1669.     At  this  far  westerly  point.  Father  Claude  Allouez 
had  established  a  Jesuit  mission  among  the  Chippewas  in 
1665,  and  with   it  was  opened  the   usual   French  trading 
post.     It  was  from  representatives  of  the  difterent  south- 
western tribes,  and  })articu]arly  from  the  Illinois,  who  came 
hither  to  barter  their  furs  and  skins,  that  Fat'.er  Marquette 
first  learned  of  the  grand  river,  of  unknown    ength,  which 
took  its  rise  in  several  lakes  in  the  countrv  of  the  far  nortli, 
and   flowed  southward  past   their   hunting  grounds,  and 
which  they  called  "Mechisipi,*'  or  "Mesissi})!,'"   meanini; 
"Great  River"  or  "  Father  of  Waters,"     The  information 
thus  derived  inspired  the  benevolent  heart  of  the  priest 
witli  an  ardent  desire  to  explore  that  mysterious  river,  and 
to   ftromulgate  the   gospel  to  the  pagan  dwellers  on  its 
banks. 

But  in  the  summer  of  1671,  he  was  obliged  to  with- 
draw, *vith  the  Huron  portion  of  his  flock,  from  his  station 
at  the  liead  of  what  is  now  called  Ashland  Bay,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  increasing  liostility  of  the  Sioux,  a  fierce 
and  roving  people,  who  inhabited  tlie  grassy  [)lain8  to  the 
southwest  of  Lake  Superior.     Returning  eastward  along 


Ion 


JoUet  and  Marquette. 


49 


a 


mr 
ledge 
Biiter- 
al  for 
3f  the 

their 

jour- 
g  and 
,11(1  its 
ere,  in 
itrepid 
of  the 

After 
lumber 
^',  Miir- 
Esprit, 
kvestern 
iber  13, 
A^Uouez 
pwHB  in 
trading 

soutli- 
|i()  came 

rquette 

,  which 
|r  nortli, 
|(Ik,  and 

leaning 
hnatioii 
ytricst 

rer,  and » 
on  itM 

|,o  witli- 
station 
li  conse- 
|a  iierce 

in  to  the 
1(1  along 


|he  southern  border  of  that  great  hike,  Maniuette  next 
■proceeded  to  found  the  mission  and  Indian  school  of  St. 
Ignatius,*  or  Ignaea,  at  the  point  or  neck  of  land  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Straits  of  Michilimackinac,  now  called 
Mackinaw.!  During  the  -nsuing  year,  he  appears  to  have 
visited,  with  Fathers  Allouez  and  Dablon,  the  western 
shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  to  have  prochiimed  the 
Faith  to  the  friendly  tribes  in  that  region. 

It  was  on  the  8th  c^f  l)ecend)er,  1»)72,  that  the  Sienr 
Joliet  arrived  from  Quebec  at  the  palisaded  mission-house- 
of  Point  de  St.  Fgnace,  with  instructions  from  (tov.  Fronte- 
nac  to  take  Pevr  Marquette  as  a  companion  on  his  expedi- 
tion for  discovering  the  Mississippi.  The  Father's  journal 
of  the  same  opens  with  the  following  pious  reference  to 
^liet's  arrival : 

"The  day  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Holy 
irgin  ;  whom  I  had  continually  invoked,  since  coming  to 
is  country  of  the  Ottawas,  to  obtain  from  God  the  favor 
being  enabled  to  visit  the  nations  on  the  river  Missis- 
i^p])i — this  very  day  was  precisely  that  on  which  M.  Joliet 
arrived  with  orders  from  Count  Frontenac,  our  governor, 
and  M.  Talon,  our  intendant,  to  go  with  him  on  this  dis- 
covery. I  was  all  the  more  delighted  at  tliis  news,  because 
I  saw  my  plans  about  to  be  acconiplislied,  and  found  my- 
self in  the  happy  necessity  of  exposing  my  life  for  the 
salvation  of  all  those  tribes,  and  especially  the  Illinois, 
who,  when  I  was  at  St.  Esprit,  had  begged  me  very  earn- 
estly to  bring  the  word  of  God  among  them." 

During  the  ensuing  winter.  Messieurs  Joliet  and  Mar- 
quette nuide  the  necessary  [(reparations  for  their  journey. 
*'  We  took  all  possible  precautions,"  writes  Marquette, 
♦'  tluit  if  our  enterprise  was  hazardous,  it  should  not  be 
fool-hardy.  For  this  reason  we  gathered  all  possible  in- 
foimation   from   the    Indians  who    had    fre(iuented    those 

*iSo  named  afteir  tht>  father  of  the  JeHuit  order. 

tMaokinai!  and  Mackinaw  are  diminutives  or  contractions  of  the 
Idian  word  Missilimakinae,  which,  according  to  Lippincot's  Gazettoer, 
luuld  be  pronounced  Misli-il-e-mak-e-naw. 


50 


Great  River  Voyage  of 


iHIl! 


:1 


I  Hi 


PI'IM'I'U 


T;art8,  and  from  their  acconntB  traced  a  map  of  all  tlie  new 
country,  marking  down  the  rivers  on  which  w^e  were  to 
sail,  the  names  of  tlie  nations  througli  which  we  were  to 
pass,  the  course  of  the  great  river,  and  wliat  direction  we 
should  take  when  we  got  to  it."  This  rude  map  was  after- 
ward revised  hy  the  priest,  who  also  entered  all  facts  of 
value  i!i  liis  note-book. 

On  the  17th  of  May,  1678,  according  to  the  Gregorian 
calendar,  the  explorers  set  out  from  Saint  Ignace  on  their 
perilous  voyage.  They  embarked  in  two  ligiit  yet  strong 
and  elastic  bark  canoes,  with  live  French  canoe-men  and 
men  of  all  work,  whose  names  we  are  unable  to  give.  For 
provisions,  they  carried  a  little  Indian  corn  and  some 
jerked  meat.  They  also  took  a  suitable  assortment  ol 
goods  for  distribution  as  presents  among  the  natives  to  he 
met  on  the  wav.  After  coastins;  around  the  northern 
curve  of  Lake  Michigan — a  wilderness  region  then,  nii(i 
practically  a  wilderness  still — they  entered  the  little  rii^er 
Menominee,  which  ituts  into  Green  Bay  from  the  north- 
west, to  visit  a  tribe  called  the  Folle  Avoine,  from  the  wild 
oats  or  rice  found  growing  along  Lhat  stream,  and  upon  which 
they  largely  subsisted.  The  Jesuit  missionaries  had  preached 
the  Faith  to  these  Indians  for  three  or  four  years,  so  that  thev 
were  accounted  "  very  good  Christians."  When  informed 
of  Marquette's  design  of  going  to  discover  distant  tribes,  to 
instruct  them  in  the  mysteries  of  his  holy  religion,  they  were 
much  surprised,  and  did  all  they  could  to  dissuade  him. 

"They  represented,"  according  to  his  jouriud,  "that  he 
would  encounter  those  nations  who  never  pardoi\  strangers, 
but  kill  without  reniorse  and  without  cause;  that  the  wars 
which  had  broken  out  between  ditlbrent  people,  who 
would  be  upon  our  route,  would  expose  us  to  the  manifci^t 
danger  of  being  carried  off  by  some  of  the  bands  of  war- 
riors who  are  always  in  the  field;  that  the  great  river  ii< 
very  daiigerous,  when  the  channel  is  not  known  ;  that  it  is 
full  of  hideous  monsters,  who  devour  altogether  men  and 
canoes;  that  there  was  also  a  demon,  whom  they  could  see 
from  a  great  distance,  who  closed  the  passage  of  the  river 
and  destroyed  those  who  dared  to  approach  him ;  and,  in 


of  I 

was 

1  lind 
-  skii 
\  had 

■M 

^  til  at 

■.'■MM 

1  thei 

I  "^^' 

^K   n\'    \ 

^m 

H  iiiuik 

'>^g 

1           t 

1   t*vil, 

^B 

n 

1 

JoUet  and  Marquette. 


51 


conclusion,  tluit  tlio  heiits  were  bo  exceeoive  that  we  should 
meet  death  inevital)ly." 

In  reply,  Marquette  thanked  tlieni  tor  tlieu-  good  ad- 
vice, but  said  that  he  could  not  follow  it,  since  the  salvation 
of  souls  influenced  him,  for  wliich  lie  would  gladly  give  up 
his  life.  He  ridiculed  their  pretended  demon,  and  told 
them  that  he  aiul  his  comi)ani<)ns  could  i)rotect  themselves 
from  the  marine  monsters,  and  would  keep  on  their  guard 
to  avoid  the  other  dangers  threatened. 

After  praying  with  and  giving  these  poor  Indians  some 
instructions,  the  good  father  and  his  French  companions 
separated  from  them  and  crossed  the  bay  to  the  mission  of 
St.  Francis  Xavier,  which  had  l)een  principally  founded  by 
Father  Allouez  in  16H9,  and  was  located  on  that- narrow 
tongue  of  land  running  up  between  Green  Bay  *■  and  Lake 
Michigan.  Quitting  this  missionary  station  early  in  June, 
the  voyagers  proceeded  southward  to  the  mouth  of  Fox 
River,  at  the  head  of  the  bay,  and  thence  up  that  river,  the 
rapids  of  which  were  surmounted  with  considerable  ditH- 
culty.  They  next  crossed  Lake  Winnebago,  and  shortly 
came  to  a  village  of  the  Miamis,  Masc  )utins,  and  Kicka- 
poos,  banded  together,  the  first  named  of  whom  were  the 
most  civil  and  liberal.  This  village  was  pleasantly  seated 
on  an  eminencfe  in  the  open  prairie.  It  was  then  the  limit 
of  French  ex[)loration  in  that  quarter,  and  all  beyond  it 
was  a  fcrra  uwognlfa.  Father  Ahir(|uette  was  rejoiced  to 
lind  standing  in  the  village  a  handsome  cross,  adorned  with 
skins,  girdles,  bows  and  arrows,  which  these  simple  natives 
had  made  as  offerings  to  their  Great  Manitou,t  "to  thank  him 
that  he  had  had  i)ity  on  them  during  the  winter  and  given 
them  a  profitable  hunt." 

"  We  had  no  sooner  arrived,"  says  Marcpiette's  journal, 
•'  than  Mons.  Joliet  and  1  assembled  the  old  men  (of  the 
village).  I  said  to  them|that  he  had  been  sent  on  the  part 
of  Monsieur,  our  governor,  to  discover  new  countries,  and 

*Tlie  French  first  named  tluB  large  arm  of  the  lake  Baie  des  Puans, 
(ir  Stinking  Uay,  on' aeeonnt  of  the  otFensive  vapors  exhaled  from  its 
iimddy  and  slimy  siiores. 

t  A  word  used  by  the  Algonquin  tribes  to  signify  a  spirit,  good  or 
evil,  having  control  of  their  destinies. 


mtmmskntmm^i 


ill 


52 


Great  River  Voyage  of 


I  oil  the  part  of  God  to  make  clear  to  them  the  lights  of 
the  gospel,  etc.,  .  .  .  and  tliat  we  had  occanioii  for  two 
guidcH  to  conduct  us  on  our  route.  On  asking  them  to  ac- 
cord tills  to  us,  we  made  them  a  }>resent,  which  made  them 
very  civil,  and  at  the  same  time  they  voluntarily  answered 
us  hy  a  present  in  return,  which  was  a  mat  to  serve  as  a 
bed  during  our  voyage.  The  next  day,  which  was  the  10th 
of  June,  the  two  Miamis  they  gave  us  for  guides  embarked 
with  us  in  sight  of  all  the  inhabitants,  who  could  not  but 
be  astonished  to  see  seven  Frenchmen,  alone  in  two  canoes, 
daring  to  undertake  an  expedition  so  extraordinary  and  so 
hazardous." 

Taking  a  southwesterly  course  through  the  labyrinth 
of  small  lakes  that  intersected  the  flat  surface  of  the  coun- 
try, the  explorers  soon  reached  the  water-shed  dividing  the 
waters  flowing  to  Lake  Michigan  from  those  falling  into  the 
Mississippi.  On  their  arrival  at  the  portage  to  the  Mascon- 
sin,  Ouisconsing,  or  Wisconsin  River,  the  two  Miamis  guides 
helped  them  to  triins[)()rt  their  canoes  and  luggage  across  it 
(a  distance  of  about  two  miles),  and  then  left  them  to  re- 
turn to  their  own  people.  Having  flrst  invoked  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  as  the  special  patroness  of  their  ex- 
pedition, the  Frenchmen  re-entered  their  canoes  and  glided 
down  the  shallow  channel  of  the  Wisconsin,  over  shoals  and 
through  rapids,  past  islets  covered  with  vines  and  under- 
brush, and  along  banks  of  alternating  timber  and  prairie, 
where  they  saw  many  deer  and  bufl'aloes  grazing. 

After  a  navigation  of  forty  or  more  French  leagues,* 
our  explorers  arrived,  without  accident,  at  the  discharge  ot 
the  Wisconsin ;  an<l,  on  the  17th  of  June  (1(373),  they  en- 
tered the  Mississippi,!  "with  a  joy,"  writes  Marquette,  '4 
can  not  express."  They  were  now  embarked  on  that  myt^- 
terious  river,  to  which  their  thoughts  had  been  so  lonir 


'  ("f 


♦The  common  Freuch  league  is  equal  to  only  2. 7t>-100  English  or 
statute  miles. 

t  It  wuH  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Missi88i()pi,  about  Ave  mik\* 
above  the  month  of  the  Wisconnin,  that  the  village  of  Prairie  du  Chieii 
was  established  a  century  later  by  some  French  traders.  It  owed  its 
name  to  a  band  of  the  Fox  Indiana,  called  the  "  Dog  Band,"  that  loni,' 
resided  there. 


^M 


Jol''''t  and  Marquette. 


53 


fhts  of 
or  two 

to  ae- 
3  them 
5\vere(l 
ve  as  a 
le  lOtli 
l)arke<l 
lot  hut 
canoos, 

and  ^0 

byrinth 
e  conn- 
ing tho 
into  tlio 
J.ascon- 
8  guides 
across  it 
11  to  re- 
protoo- 
leirex- 
.  glidocl 
ivdh  anil 
under- 
prairie, 

;ague>.''' 
largt'  tit 
ju'V  fii- 
ettc,  '*I 
at  my^- 
so  long 

Inglisli  "I' 

ive  inilt>8 
du  Cli  it'll 
owed  its 
that  loug 


turned,  and  which  the  pious  priest  named  J{ii:iere  de  la^ 
Coiu-eptioi) ;  but  they  found  it  ruther  narrow  at  the  point  of 
om.rgence,  and  elsewhere  of  varying  width.  For  the  en- 
suing week,  they  somewhat  leisurely  descended  the  noble 
stream,  attentively  observing  its  high,  bold  ami  pictures(pie 
bluffs,  its  thickly  wooded  banks  and  islands,  clothed  in  the 
full  verdure  t»f  snnnner,  and  meeting  with  all  manner  of 
wild  birds,  beasts,  tishes  and  creeping  things,  but  seeing  no 
Iniman  being.  At  night  they  went  asliore  and  prepared 
their  frugal  repast,  nuiking  but  little  tire,  and  tlien  nu:)ored 
their  canoes  out  in  the  water,  and  some  one  of  the  i)arty 
was  always  (ui  guard  for  fear  of  a  surjirise. 

At  length,  on  the  2")th  of  dune,  having  advanced  over 
eixty  leagues,  and  being  in  latitude  below  forty-one  de- 
grees north,  the  voyagers  discovered  the  foot-prints  of  men 
in  the  sand  on  the  western  shore,  and  v  well-beaten  path 
leading  \i\t  to  a  prairie  beyond.  Here  Joliet  and  Mar- 
quette left  their  canoes  in  the  care  of  tlieir  men,  an(i 
started  out  to  reconnoiter.  Following  the  path  for  nearly 
two  leagues,  they  canu>  in  siglit  of  an  Indian  village,  on 
the  banks  of  a  small  river  (sup|)osed  to  be  the  l)es  Moines), 
and  beyond  it,  ujion  a  hill,  two  other  villages.  Apj)roach- 
iiig  the  lirst,  they  piously  commended  themselves  to  God, 
and  uttered  a  loud  cry;  on  htniring  which  the  savages  sal- 
lied out  of  their  cabins,  and,  apparently  recognizing  the 
two  Frenchmen  by  tlieir  dark  robes,  sent  four  of  their  eld- 
ers to  meet  them.  The  inhabitants  of  these  villages  called 
themselves  lUiniu'ek,  or  Ulini,  that  is  to  say  "  men,"  or 
"superior  men."  They  were  otherwise  known  as  Peon- 
areas  (Peorias),  and  Moingwenas,  and  belonged  to  a  loose 
confederation  of  five  or  six  tribes,  who  went  under  the 
general  appellation  of  the  lllini,  or  Illinois,*  and  whose 
principal  residence  was  on  the  river  of  that  name,  east  of 
the  Mississijipi.  Marquette  had  before  met  representatives 
of  this  nation  at  the  mission  of  St.  Esprit  on  Lake  Supe- 
rior, and  umlerstood  their  language  (a  dialect  of  the  Al- 
gonquin) Hufiiciently  well  to  hold  conversation  with  them. 


The  French  added  tlie  termination  "  ois"  for  the  sake  of  euphony. 


I 


■■tfiaiili 


54 


Great  River  Voyage  of 


i!;r 


!l 


At  the  door  of  tlie  M'igwain,  wli'.-.e  he  and  Joliet  were 
at  first  received,  stood  an  old  man,  entirely  naked,  with  hi'^ 
hands  outstretched  toward  the  sun,  apj»arentiy  to  sliade  his 
eyes.  Wl)en  tliey  drew  near  lie  greeted  them  with  tliis 
friendly  and  tine  sahitation  :  ''  Tlie  sun  is  beautiful,  French- 
men, when  thou  comest  to  visit  uh  ;  all  our  town  awaits 
tliee,  and  tliou  shalt  enter  in  peace  into  all  our  cabins." 
And  when  they  had  entered  therein,  he  softly  said:  "It  is 
well,  my  brothers,  that  you  visit  us." 

Aftei"  exchauifiniJ^  civilities  and  smoking  the  peace  cal- 
umet here,  the  visitors  were  conducted  to  the  village  of  the 
principal  chief  or  sachenj,  who,  assisted  by  two  of  his  nude 
dignitaries,  extended  to  them  a  ceremonious  yet  cordial 
welcome.  In  this  gathering  of  the  chiefs  and  peojde,  whoso 
curiosity  was  greatly  excited  by  the  presence  of  the  white 
men  among  them,  Marquette  after  first  nudcing  them  four 
presents,  announced  tlie  mission  of  Mons.  Joliet  and  him- 
self, lie  told  them  about  the  invisible  God  who  created 
them,  and  who  wished  to  reveal  himself  unto  them.  He 
then  S}»oke  of  the  great  Chief  of  the  French,  who  "  would 
have  them  know  that  it  was  he  who  had  produced  peace 
throughout,  and  had  subdued  the  Iroquois."  Finally,  he 
requested  them  to  give  him  all  the  knowledge  they  possessed 
in  regard  *  the  sea,  and  of  the  nations  through  whose  ter- 
ritories it  would  be  necessary  to  pass  before  reaching  it. 
In  his  reply,  the  Illinois  chief  could  give  his  visitors  but 
little  information  about  the  distant  sea;  but  he  besought 
them  not  to  go  any  further,  because  of  the  great  dangers 
to  wliich  they  would  be  exposed.  Always  at  war  with  the 
surrounding  tuitions,  these  Indians  could  not  understand 
how  it  was  possible  for  the  Frenchmen  to  travel  in  safety 
from  one  section  of  the  country  to  another. 

The  council  and  speech-making  were  followed  by  a 
generous  feast  of  four  courses,  viz  :  Saf/nmiffee,^  fish,  boiled 
dog,  and  ])ufi'alo  meat,  served  in  large  wooden  platters. 
The  boiled  dog,  although  an  Indian  delicacy,  was  politely 


'Tliis  was  a  coiinnon  <li.sli  among  the  natives  of  tlie  Mississippi     ' 
Valley,  and  consisted  of  dour  of  maize,  boiled  in  water  and  seasoned 
with  j^rease. 


Joliet  and  Marquette. 


55 


decliiit'd  by  the  two  guents,  and  was  removed  from  their 
presence.  When  the  feast  was  ended,  they  were  shown 
over  the  vilhi.£re,  which  was  found  to  contain  three  hundred 
caV)ins.  Before  takin«r  their  departure,  the  head  chief, 
as  a  special  mark  of  consideration  for  Father  Marquette, 
presented  him  with  a  mysterious  e-alumet  of  peace,  fanci- 
fully decorated  with  feathers,  whicli  was  intended  to  serve 
him  and  his  party  as  a  safeguard  on  their  voyage. 

After  spending  a  couple  of  days  with  these  hospitable 
'children  of  nature,  the  explorers  re-embarked  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  second  day  in  sight  of  all  the  villagers,  who, 
to  the  number  of  over  five  hundred,  escorted  them  to  their 
canoes,  which  they  greatly  admired,  having  never  seen  the 
like  before.  Being  again  afloat  on  the  mysterious  river, 
our  Frenchmen  were  soon  borne  by  its  swift  current  to 
and  through  the  slight  rapids  at  the  entrance  of  the  Des 
^  Moines,  and  ther.ce  on  to  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois,  putting 
in  from  the  nortlieast.  They  next  passed,  on  their  left,  that 
gigantic  and  craggy  wall  of  lime  and  sandstone  rock,  which 
abuts  the  northern  shore  for  twenty  miles  below  the  Illi- 
nois, and  which  rises  at  some  points  to  the  height  of  four 
hundred  feet  above  the  water. 

"As  we  coasted  along  the  rocks,  frightful  from  their 
height  and  vastness,"  says  Marquette's  journal,  "  we  saw 
upon  one  of  them  two  monsters  painted,  (so)  that  we  were 
alarmed  at  first  sight,  and  upon  which  some  of  the  most 
courageous  savages  dare  not  for  a  Ions-  time  fasten  their 
eyes.  They  are  as  large  as  a  calf,  have  horns  upon  the  head 
like  a  deer,  a  frightful  look,  red  eyes,  a  beard  like  a  tiger; 
the  face  something  like  a  man's,  the  body  covered  with 
scales,  and  the  tail  so  long  that  it  made  the  circuit  of  the 
body,  passing  over  the  head  an<l  returning  under  the  legs, 
terminating  like  the  tail  of  a  fish.  The  colors  that  com- 
posed it  were  green,  red,  and  black."* 


*The  western  Indians  were  not  unacquainted  with  a  rude  kind  of 
picture-writiuo;.  But  it  is  supixised  that  these  crude  paintings,  indis- 
tinctly representing  men  and  beasts,  though  an  object  of  idolatrous  wor- 
ship to  the  savages,  and  long  the  wonder  of  the  curious,  were  little  more 
than  the  exudation  of  colored  matter  from  the  rock  itself.    They  were 


«iiii>iin-irinim'  ni-i.i 


ii 


hi  'I'lHI'i'' 


Great  River  Voyage  of 

Tliifi  was  iieiir  the  iiioutli  of  Piasa  Creek,  and  two  miles 
above  tlie  inodern  city  of  Alton.  A  few  miles  farther  on, 
while  rowing  in  smooth  water,  and  still  conversing  about 
the  "  monsters,"  the  voyagers  were  unexpectedly  caught  in 
the  muddy  and  impetuous  current  of  the  Pekitanoui  (Mis- 
souri),* coming  in  from  the  northwest,  and  swe[>t  over  to 
the  Illinois  side.  Escajnng  this  danger,  they  paused  on 
their  oars  to  view  the  outlet  of  that  powerful  stream  which 
changes  the  character  of  the  Mississipjti,  and  doubtless  took 
note  of  the  ftict  that  for  several  miles  below  the  waters  of 
the  two  rivers  refused  to  coalesce.  Continuing  their  course, 
they  80(Ui  jiassed,  on  their  right,  the  forest  crowned  site  of 
St.  Louis,  and  lower  <l(nvn,  on  their  left,  the  mouth  of  the 
gentle  Kaskaskia  ;  and  then  they  a}»proached  that  roundish 
pile  of  rock,  since  known  as  Grand  Tower,  against  wdiicli 
the  whole  curi'cnt  of  the  river  seemed  to  set.  This  M^as 
tlie  demon  or  evil  Manitou  of  which  tlie  northern  Indians 
Inid  warned  them,  but  it  <li(l  not  prevent  their  {nissage 
and  safe  arrival  at  the  Ouabouskigou,  the  Ohio,  or  Oua- 
bache  of  the  Frent'h.  "This  river,"  says  Marquette's 
journal,  "  comes  from  the  lands  of  the  rising  sun,  where 
there  is  a  great  number  of  people  called  Chaounons."  f 
The  explorers  now  entered  the  lov»  country — the  region  of 
the  reed  cane,  the  cotton  tree,  and  the  cypress — where  they 
experienced  no  little  annoyance  froui  musquitoes.  Not  far 
below  the  conHuence  of  the  Ohio,  they  j>erceived  Indians 
on  the  eastern  l)ank,  who  stopped  and  waited  for  them  to 
approach.  Manpiette  immediately  showed  his  decorated 
calumet,  which  was  accepted  by  the  savages  as  a  token  of 
peace ;  and  wdien  the  Frenchmen  had  put  to  shore,  they 


placed  about  fifty  fei'tabovo  the  base  of  tbe  clilf ;  ]jut  thfou(;tb  the  combined 
action  of  tbe  eleiiieiits,  and  tbe  work  of  the  quarryman,  they  are  now 
totally  obliterated. 

*  If  wo  niight  i-redit  the  nncerttiin  narrative  of  the  Baron  de  la 
Honton,  he  tirnt  explored  the  MisHonri  liiver  early  in  1081),  ascending  it 
as  far  as  tbe  inoutb  of  the  Osage.  8ee  Ln  UimtviCs  Voi/ogeH  (English  ed., 
London,  17115),  vol.  I.,  p.  i:^(>. 

t  These  were  the  Khawanocs.  Sbawanese,  or  Shawnees,  who  JODBti- 
tuted  one  of  tliC  most  restless  and  migratory  of  the  Algonijuin  tribes, 
and  are  celebrated  as  tb-j  tribe  of  Tecumseb. 


Joliet  and  Marquette. 


57 


in 


bined    P 


re  now 

(le  la 
(ling  it 
isli  eel, 

•OIlBti- 

tribes, 


were  feartted  upon  butialo  moat  and  bear's  oil,  witli  some 
iswliite  |)lun)s  as  a  dessert.  These  Indians  belonged  to  a 
'  tril)o  tailed  tbe  Monsoupelea,  and  wei-e  armed  with  fusees 
that  had  been  procured  from  nations  who  traded  with  the 
English  on  the  coast  of  Carolina.  They  told  tlieir  visitors 
tha.  the  sea  might  be  reached  in  ten  (lavs'  sail,  but  this 
proved  fjdlacious. 

Continuing  their  ra;)id  descent  of  the  grand  river,  the 

voyagers  next  approached,  on  theii"  riglit,  a  village  of  th  ' 

.Metchigamta,*  who  showe<l  themselves  very  hostile,  ai..i 

ririade  ready  to  attack  them  both  by  land  atid  water.    Wliile 

*  -fhis  companions  put  themselves  in  an  attitude  of  defense, 

■Father  Martp'.ette  resolutely  disjdaycd  his  grand  calumet, 

and  ma<le  signs  that  they  had  not  come  for  war;  "when," 

L'Jhe  tells  us,  "God  touched   suddenly  the  hearts  of  the  old 

{I,'"''',men  who  were  on  the  shore,  occasioned  doubtless  by  the 

Bight  of  our  calumet,  and  they  arrested  the  ardor  of  their 

,  j^young  men."     The  Frenchmen  then  went  ashore,  though 

'/not  witliout  trepidation,  ami  held  u  [)arley  with  the  savages. 

iThis  v,as  carried  o»i  at  first  by  signs  and  gt\stures,  for  they 

did  not  understaiKl  any  of  the  six  Indian  dialects  that  Mar- 

qnette  spoke.     Fortunately  an  old  man  was  soon  found  who 

could  si)eak  a  little  Illinois,  and   lie  acted  as  interj)reter. 

After  presents  had  been  distributed  among  Mu!se  peojile, 

they  beoame  more  civil,  and  ottered  their  guests  sagamiitee 

and  iish,  Imt  declined  to  give  them  any  information  about 

tlic  nations  or  (country  to  the  southward. 

Having  passed  tlic  night  in  much  uneasiness  at  tliis 
village,  the  voyagers  re-embarked  the  next  morning  with 
+hi'ir  interi»reter,  and  were  piloted  by  a  canoe  carrying  ten 
savages  down  tlie  river,  some  eight  leagues,  to  a  large  vil- 
blue  of  the  Akamsca,  or  Akansea.  When  within  iialf  a 
ague  of  tlie  village,  they  perceived  two  canoes  coming  to 
eet  tlieni,  in  tlie  first  of  which  an  iiidiaii  was  standing  u|) 
»d  holding  in  his  hand  a  calumet,  "with  wiiich  he  made 
jn;iny  motions,  according  to  the  (Uistoin  of  the  country." 

*'Y\w   Mt'tchiKHinoa,  or  Micliij^amicH,  were  a  warlike  triht',  who  ap- 
t'ar  to  hav<«  Hul^pequontly  fuHcI  with  tho  KaskiL^kiaH  of  lllinoiH. 


-58 


Great  Mker  Voyage  of 


He  approached,  "  Hinging  very  agreeably,  tind  presented  it 
to  them  to  smoke,  after  which  he  gave  them  sagamittee, 
and  bread  made  of  Indian  corn,  and  tlien,  taking  the  ad- 
vance, made  a  sign  to  tliem  to  follow  quietly  after  him." 

Arrived  at  the  village  of  the  Akansea,*  the  French- 
men were  escorted  to  the  platform,  or  scaffold  of  the  war- 
chief,  which  was  strongly  built  and  covered  with  fine  mats 
of  rushes,  upon  which  they  were  seated,  having  about  them 
the  old  men  next  to  whom  stood  the  warriors,  and  vfter  tli« 
latter  a  promiscuous  crowd  of  squaws  and  children.  Luck- 
ily, there  was  found  here  a  young  Indian  who  understood 
the  Illinois  language  much  better  than  the  interpreter  who 
had  acconq)anied  them  from  the  Metchigamea.  With  his 
aid,  Manjuette  talked  to  the  whole  assend^ly,  at  the  same 
time  making  them  some  small  presents,  and  told  them  about 
God  and  the  mysteries  of  the  Catholic  faith  and  worship. 

When  asked  wluit  they  knew  about  the  sea  and  the 
nations  who  lived  upon  its  shores,  "they  answered  that 
we  could  be  there  in  ten  days;  that  it  was  })ossible  for 
us  to  make  the  journey  in  five  days,  but  that  they  were 
not  acquainted  with  the  nations  who  dwelt  upon  it,  be- 
cause their  enemies  prevented  them  from  having  any 
intercourse  with  the  Europeans;  that  their  tomahawks, 
knives,  and  glass  beads,  which  we  saw,  had  been  sold  to 
them  in  part  ])y  the  nations  to  the  east,  and  partly  by  a 
tribe  of  the  Illinois  living  at  the  west,  four  days'  journey 
from  there;  that  the  savages  whom  we  saw  with  fusees 
were  their  enemies,  wlio  shut  up  their  })assage  to  the  sea, 
and  })revented  them  from  having  a  knowledge  of  the  Euro- 
peans and  an>  tnule  with  them.  As  for  the  rest,  we  should 
expose  ours*  Ives  v»  vy  much  by  ])assing  further  on,  for  the 
reason  that  their  enemies  were  making  continual  irruptioni^ 
upon  the  river,  which  they  cruised  upon  continually."  f 

While  this  i)ublic  talk  was  going  on,  the  Indiaiin 
brought  to  their  guests,  on  platters  or  dishes  of  wood, 
flometimes  saganiittee,  tlicn  wliole  ears  of  corn,  and  then  a 


•  It  is  conjectured  tliut  IIiIh  wuh  what  wiiH  iiftcrward  known  uh  the 
Kappa  viliiijfc  of  \\w  ArkanHaw. 

1"  ManiiU'ttc'H  Journal  dn  Voyivje, 


Joliet  and  Marquette. 


59 


piece  of  dog-meat.  The  people  of  this  tribe  are  described 
as  being  very  lil)eral  witli  what  they  possessed,  ])ut  as  liv- 
ing poorly  in  bark  cabins,  and  not  daring  to  go  to  hunt  the 
wild  cattle  for  fear  of  their  enemies.  They  liad,  however, 
abundance  of  Indian  corn,  which  they  cooked  in  large 
earthen  vessels,  and  jtlenby  of  watermelons.  The  men 
went  naked,  wearing  their  hair  short,  and  boring  the  nose 
aiul  ears  to  put  in  them  rings  .»f  glass  beads.  The  women 
were  indifferently  clad  in  skins,  and  wore  their  hair  plaited 
in  two  braids,  which  fell  behind  the  ears. 

Messieurs  Joliet  and  Marquette  now  conferrrerl  together 
as  to  whether  they  should  continue  their  voyage,  or  con- 
tent themselves  with  the  discoveries  they  had  already  made. 
Being  [>ersuaded  that  the  Mississippi  had  its  discharge  in 
West  Florida,  at  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  not  to  the  east 
on  the  coast  of  Virginia,  nor  to  the  west  in  the  Gulf  of 
California,  and  being,  moreover,  apprehensive  that  if  they 
went  much  farther  soutii  they  might  fall  into  the  hands  of 
the  8j)aniards,  and  thus  lose  the  fruits  of  their  long  voyage, 
the}'  discreetly  decided  to  reti'ace  their  course. 

Accordingly,  on  the  17th  of  July,*  after  a  (hiy's  rest, 
the  explorers  turned  their  canoes  ur-  the  great  river,  and 
had  nmch  difliculty  in  stemming  its  powerful  current. 


*  Mai-quette's  Journal  here  siiys:  "After  a  month's  navigation  in 
(h'Hi'c  ling  the  MiisHisHippi,  from  the  forty-sfeond  degree  to  the  t'.iirty- 
fourth  and  more,  and  after  liaving  publiHlied  tlie  (iospel  to  all  the  na- 
tions 1  had  met,  \  •  left  the  village  of  the  Akansea  on  the  17th  of  July 
ti   retrace  our  steps. " 

flaking  allowanee  for  their  inoorreet  latitude,  wiiich  \va.s  about  one 
dogi  too  low,  or  near  the  eipiator,  it  HeeniH  that  tlie  I'xplorers  de- 
Hoend  1  below  the  Soth  paralUd  to  a  village  in  the  vieinity  of  tho 
presen  own  of  Helena.  Nor  is  it  incrtMlible,  as  argued  by  Home  writers, 
that  tin  y  should  hav(>  sailed  so  far  to  the  south  in  thirty  days'  time.  It 
is  apparent  from  Mappu'tte's  narrative  that  they  were  equipped  with 
hght  canoes,  oars,  and  sails  for  rai)id  traveling;  that,  after  quitting 
the  Illinois,  their  stoppages  were  few  and  of  short  duration;  and  that 
going  with  the  current,  and  favored  ity  the  annual  rise  in  tlw  river,  they 
could  witliotit  dirticnlty  iuive  averaged  thirty-six  miles  per  <hiy,  includ- 
ing halts.  This  woulil  have  covered  the  distance  of  eleven  hundred 
JiiilcH,  by  the  windings  of  the  riv»'r,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin 
to  that  of  th(>  Arkansas.  Charlevoix,  in  describing  tlu*  birch-bark  ca- 
noes, says  that,  "  with  a  good  wind,  they  can  make  twenty  leagues  in  a 


60 


Great  River  Voyage  of 


But  few  incidents  are  recorded  of  this  tedious  and  toil- 
Bome  homeward  trip,  wliich  they  made  under  tlie  sweltering 
sun  of  midsummer,  and  exposed  by  night  to  the  noxious 
exlialations  from  the  buyous  and  morasses  bordering  the 
river.  When  they  again  approaclied  the  mouth  of  the  Ilh- 
nois,  liaving  been  told  by  the  Indians  that  this  river  afforded 
a  more  direct  route  to  the  great  lakes  than  that  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  Wisconsin,  they  entered  and  followed  it  to  the 
northeast.  As  the  voyagers  ascended  its  sluggish  channel, 
they  were  delighted  with  the  stream  and  the  varied  aspect 
of  the  adjacent  country.  •       - 

"  We  had  never  seen  any  thing  like  this  river,"  says 
the  father  in  his  journal,  "for  the  richness  of  the  soil,  the 
prairies  and  woods,  tlie  buffaloes,  the  elks,  the  deer,  the 
wild  cats,  the  bustards,  the  swans  (or  wild  geese),  the  ducks, 
tlie  paroquets,  and  even  the  beavers.  It  is  made  up  of 
little  lakes  and  little  rivers.  That  upon  which  we  voyaged 
is  wide,  deep,  and  gentle  for  sixty-five  leagues.  During 
the  spring  and  part  of  the  summer,  it  is  necessary  to  make 
a  portage  of  half  a  league."  f 

In  ascendii'g  the  Illinois  River,  their  first  stop  of  any 
length  was  at  a  village  of  the  Peorias,  the  location  of  winch 
is  not  mentioned,  though  it  was  probably  on  or  near  Peoria 
Lake.  "  Here,"  says  Marquette's  narrative,  "  I  preaclied 
for  three  davs  to  them  the  mvsteries  of  our  faitl',  in  all  tlieir 
cabins,  after  which,  as  we  were  .about  to  en»'»ark,  they 
brought  to  me,  at  tlie  edge  of  the  water,  a  (lyin^.  'nfant, 
.  which  I  baptized  a  little  while  before  it  died,  for  the  suiv.i- 
tion  of  its  innocent  soul." 

Higher  uj)  the  stream,  the  voyagers  found  a  village  of 
the  Illinois  called  Kachkaskia,  containing  seventy-four  cab- 


day,  but,  without  Bails,  they  nuist  be  good  canoe-men  to  make  twelve 
leaj^..e8  in  dead  water." 

It  iH  trno  that  La  Salle,  T(  ntv,  St.  Cosme,  and  othors  of  th(!  early 
voyagcHTK  made  no  Hueh  quick  time  aH  that  on  the  Mi88i8Hij)pi.  Hut  their 
southern  voyages  were  mostly  undertaken  in  the  winter  or  early  spring, 
with  heavier  canons  and  baggage,  and  they  were  otherwise  encumbered 
or  imj)eded  in  their  i)rogre8K  by  a  following  of  Indians. 

tThis  portage  was  from  tlie  Des  I'laim's  bnnich  of  the  Illinois  to 
the  Chicagou,  which  empties  into  Lake  Michigan. 


of 


•ill>- 


icir 
3red 


JoUet  and  Marquette.  '  61 

ins,  where  tliey  were  very  kindly  received  by  the  inhabit- 
ants;  so  well  pleased  were  the  hitter  with  the  teachings 
of  the  good  priest,  that  they  made  him  promise  to  return 
and  further  instruct  them.  One  of  the  chiefs  and  a  young 
brave  of  the  tribe  conducted  the  Frenchmen  thence  to  the 
Lac  lies  Illinois  (Lake  Michigan),  l)y  which  they  at  last 
returned  to  the  mission  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  on  Green  Bay, 
at  the  close  of  September.  They  had  left  this  station  four 
montlis  before,  and  during  tluit  time  had  traveled  a  cii-cuit 
of  about  twenty-seven  hundred  miles  through  regions 
hitherto  unvisited  by  wliite  men."* 

The  two  explorers  now  shortly  separated,  never  to  meet 
again  on  earth.  When  Father  Mar([uette  reached  the  mis- 
sion on  Green  Bay,  his  constitution  was  seriously  impaired 
by  the  fatigues  and  hardships  incident  to  his  prolonged 
journey,  and  he  was  detained  there  by  sickness  during  the 
ensuing  year.  In  September,  1674,  having  partly  regained 
his  liealth,  he  completed  his  journal  of  the  voyage  down 
the  Mississippi,  and  sent  it  to  his  superior  at  Quebec.  An 
imperfect  copy  of  this  journal,  it  seems,  soon  found  its  way 
to  Paris,  and  into  the  hands  of  Mons.Thevenot,  an  enter- 
prising Parisian  publisher.  Appreciating  the  interest  and 
importance  of  the  narrative,  he  published  it  in  1681,  in  a 
volume  styled  Recuil  de  Voyages  (Collection  of  Voy- 
ages), under  the  particular  title  of  "  Voyage  et  deeouverte  de 
qulquc  pays  et  nations  de  U Amerique  Septontrionale,''  to- 
gether with  a  rude  map  of  the  Mississippi  Valley;  sev- 
eral English  translations  of  which  are  extant. 

When  this  journal  of  Father  Marquette  first  appeared 

*The  following  table  of  the  distances  traveled  over  by  M.  Joliet  and 

Father  Manjuette  is  taken  from  Sparks's  Life  of  Maniuette : 

Miles. 

From  the  Mission  of  St.  Ignaee  to  Green  Bay,  about. :il8 

From  (ireen  Bay  (I'lians)  up  Fox  River  to  the  portaj:e 175 

From  the  portage  down  the  Wiseonsin  to  the  MlHsissippi 175 

From  the  moutli  of  the  Wiscoiusin  to  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas. .  1 ,087 

From  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  to  the  Illinois  River 547 

From  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  to  the  Chicago  (Creek) 306 

From  the  Chicago  to  Green  Bay,  by  the  lake  shore 2(iO 

Total 2,767 


''I 

ii' 

!'i 

62 


Great  River  Voyage.' 


in  print,  its  authenticity  was  denied,  especially  by  the 
writers  in  La  Salle's  interest,  who  aitected  to  treat  it  as  a 
fiction,  or  narrative  of  a  pretended  voyage.  "  Indeed," 
writes  Mr.  Shea,  "the  services  and  narrative  would  hardly 
have  escaped  oblivion,  had  not  Charlevoix  brought  tliem  to 
light:  in  \\\u  great  work  on  Xew  France."  But  the  oppor- 
tune discovery  in  1844  of  the  original  nnanuscript  of  Mar- 
quette's journal  and  map,*  in  tlie  keeping  of  the  hospital 
nuns  of  the  Hotel-Dicu  at  Quebec,  to  whose  care  it  had  been 
transferred,  with  other  papers,  from  the  old  Jesuit  College 
in  that  city  shortly  before  the  year  1800,  has  settled  the 
question  of  its  genuineness  beyond  dispute. f 

The  narrative  itself  has  a  peculiar  value,  owing  to  the 
loss  of  .Toilet's  original  pa[)ers  of  the  journey.  It  is  also  note- 
worthy for  the  terseness,  simplicity,  and  charm  of  its  style, 
particularly  in  the  descriptive  passages.  Aside  from  some  pro- 
pensity on  tlie  part  of  its  priestly  author  toward  hypcrbole,| 
and  waiving  the  question  as  to  how  far  he  and  Joliet  actu- 
ally went  below  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  River,  his  journal 
iray  be  accepted  as  a  true  and  striking  picture  of  the  Mis- 
8issi}>[»i  Valley,  iind  of  its  savage  inhabitants,  at  that  i>ris- 
tine  period  of  the  country '«  history.  Marquette  had  an  ob- 
servant eye  for  the  various  phenomena  of  nature,  and  his 
brief  expUmation  of  the  lake  tides  has  not  been  greatly  im- 
proved upon  by  the  deductions  of  modern  scientists. 

Having  at  length  received  from  the  sui)erior  of  his 
order  at  Quebec  the  requisite  authority  to  estaldish  a  mis- 
sion on  the  Illinois  Uiver,  and  his  health  now  seeming  to 
be  restored.  Father  Marciuette  started  for  his  new  mission 
on  the  25th  of  October,  1074.  Leaving  the  station  of  St. 
Francis  Xavier  in  a  canoe,  with  two  French  attendants,  he 


*Now  preserved  among  the  old  records  in  St.  Mary's  College,  Mon- 
treal. 

t  Moses'  History  of  111.,  vol.  1,  j).  M. 

JTluB  tendency  to  exa>j;geration  characterizcB,  in  a  greater  or  less  de- 
gree, the  writings  of  all  the  early  explorers  of  America.  It  was  doubt- 
less nnturiil  to  those  men  of  impressible  imaginations,  in  th(^  continual 
presence  of  now  and  surprising  objects ;  for  their  minds  had  not  been 
trained  to  that  accuracy  of  Btateuient  which  is  exjjected  from  reputable 
modern  travelers. 


Marquette's  Last  Visit  to  the  Illinois. 


63 


niui 
Vlis- 
)n6- 

ob- 
[]m 

im- 

\m 
luis- 
g  to 
>8iou 

['  St. 
^,  lie 

Mon- 

sK  tie- 
.oubt- 
timial 
bi'tm 
itiil)le 

coasted  along  the  Green  Bay  Inlet  to  its  southern  tennituis, 
and  tilt  lu-e  nuide  a  i)ortage  across  the  narrow  peninsulatothe 
western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  En  route,  he  overtook  a 
party  of  the  I'ottawatoniie  and  Illinois  Indians,  and  jour- 
neyed with  them  up  the  lake.  About  the  23d  of  November, 
the  missionary  was  ag.iin  seized  by  his  old  niahidy,  the  dys- 
entery, accompanied  with  hemorrhage,  ln't  pushed  on,  un- 
daunted by  disease  and  snowstorms,  until  the  4th  of  December, 
whe.i  he  and  his  companions  reached  the  mouth  of  Chicago 
Creek.  Finding  it  bridged  with  ice.  they  uioved  up  its  frozen 
surface  about  two  leagues,  following  the  south  branch,  and 
there  stopped  and  built  a  cabin,  which  is  believed  to  have 
been  the  first  white  human  habitation  erected  on  the  site 
of  the  metropolitan  city  of  Chicago. 

Being  unable  to  i)roceed  farther,  the  sick  j)riest  and 
his  two  attendants  wintered  in  this  dreary  abode.  He 
passed  his  waking  hours  in  }»rayer  and  meditation,  and 
said  mass  every  day.  In  the  latter  part  of  January,  he  was 
visited  by  a  deputation  of  three  Illinois  Indians,  who 
brought  him  provisions  and  beaver  skins,  and  wanted  in 
return  jjowdcr  and  merchandise;  but  he  gave  them  only 
the  latter.  During  the  winter  he  also  received  a  visit  from 
a  French  trader  or  trapjter,  who  was  stationed  some  fifty 
miles  awav,  and  who  had  heard  of  his  illness. 

Again  recovered  sonunvhat, Father  Marcpiette  resumed 
his  journey  on  the  29th  of  March,  KiTi),  and,  going  byway 
of  Mud  Lake  and  the  rivers  ])es  Plaines  and  Illinois,  he  ar- 
rived at  the  village  of  the  Kaskaskias  o!i  the  8th  of  April. 
It  was  here,  near  the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Utica,  that 
he  began  his  mission,  to  which  he  gave  the  natne  of  the 
"Inmuiculate  Conce[)tion  of  the  Blessed  Virgin."  But  it 
was  only  for  a  little  while  that  he  was  able  to  teach  the 
benighted  Indians;  for  "  continued  illness  soon  obliged  him 
to  set  forth  on  that  return  voyage,  which  brought  him  to  a 
lonely  grave  in  the  wildei'uess."'  On  the  eve  of  his  de[)ar- 
ture  from  the  village,  he  convened  the  inhabitants,  to  the 
inmiber  of  two  thousand,  on  a  meadow  hard  by,  and  there 
on  a  rude  altar,  exhibited  four  pictures  of  the  Vir- 
gin Mary,  explained  their  significance,  and  exhorted  the 


64 


Great  River  Voyage. 


mm 


m 


r?'' 


chietH  and  people  to  embrace;  Christianity.  It  may  be  re- 
marked, en,  passant,  that  the  doctrine  (now  dogma)  of  the 
Immacnhite  Conception  of  the  V^irgin  was  a  favorite  tenet 
of  the  Jesuits,  and  that  Father  Marquette  was  especially 
devoted  to  it.  Quitting  the  Indian  village  a  few  days  after 
Easter,  he  was  escorted  by  a  band  of  the  Kaskaskias  to 
Lake  Michigan,  and,  on  taking  final  leave  of  |them,  he 
promised  that  either  himself  or  some  other  missionar}-  would 
return  and  resume  his  labors  among  them. 

•"He  seems  to  have  taken  the  way  by  the  mouth 
of  St.  Joseph's  River,  and  reached  the  eastern  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan,  along  which  he  had  not  as  yet  sailed.  His 
strength  now  graduall}^  failed,  and  he  was  at  last  so  weak 
that  he  had  to  be  lifted  in  and  out  of  his  canoe,  when  they 
landed  each  night.  Cahnly  and  cheerfully  he  saw  the 
approach  of  death,  for  which  he  prepared  by  assiduous 
prayer;  his  office  he  regularly  recited  to  the  last  day  of  his 
life;  a  meditation  on  death,  which  he  had  long  prepared, 
he  also  made  the  subject  of  his  thoughts.  And  as  his  kind 
but  simple  companions  seemed  overwhelmed  at  the  pros- 
pect of  their  approaching  loss,  he  blessed  some  water  with 
the  usual  ceremonies,  gave  them  directions  how  to  act  in 
his  last  momenis,  how  to  arrange  his  body,  and  how  to 
commit  it  to  the  earth.  He  now  seemed  but  to  seek  a 
grave;  at  last,  perceiving  the  mouth  of  a  river,  he  pointed 
to  an  eminence  as  the  place  of  his  burial. 

"His  companions,  Pierre  Porteret  and  Jacques , 

still  hoped  to  reach  Mackinaw,  but  the  wind  drove  them 
back,  and  they  entered  the  river  by  the  channel  Avhere  it 
emptied  then,  for  it  has  since  changed.  They  erected  a 
little  bark  cabin,  and  stretched  the  dying  missionary  be- 
neath it,  as  comfortably  as  they  could.  Still  a  priest,  rather 
than  a  man,  he  thought  of  his  ministry,  and,  for  the  last 
time,  he  heard  the  confessions  of  his  companions,  and  en- 
couraged them  to  rely  on  the  protection  of  God;  then  sent 
them  to  take  the  repose  they  so  nmch  needed.  When  he 
felt  his  agony  approaching,  he  called  them,  and,  taking  his 
crucifix  from  around  his  neck,  he  placed  it  in  their  hands, 
and,  pronouncing  in  a  firm  voice  his  profession  of  faith. 


1 

teinj 

Death  of  Marquette. 


#6 


liem 
le  it 
id  a 
bc- 
:]icr 
last 
eii- 
i(ent 
|i  he 
hia 
lids, 
lith, 


thanked  the  Ahnighty  for  the  favor  of  permitting  him  to 
die  a  Jesuit,  a  missionary,  and  alone.  Then  he  relapsed 
into  silence,  interrupted  by  pious  aspirations,  till  at  last, 
with  the  names  of  Jesus  and  Mary  on  his  lips,  with  his 
eyes  raised  as  if  in  ecstacy  above  his  crucifix,  with  his  face 
all  radiant  with  joy,  he  passed  from  the  scene  of  his  labors 
to  the  God  who  was  to  be  his  reward.  Such  was  the  edify- 
ing and  holy  death  of  the  illustrious  exp.'orer  of  the  Miss- 
issippi, on  Saturday  the  18th  of  May,  1675."* 

Obedient  to  the  instructions  they  had  received,  the 
two  surviving  attendants  of  the  dead  priest  bore  his  body 
to  the  spot  he  had  designated,  committed  it  tenderly  to  the 
earth,  and  placed  over  it  a  rude  cedar  cross.  Then,  re- 
entering their  canoe,  they  wended  their  way  to  Michili- 
nuickinac,  to  carry  the  sad  tidings  to  the  Jesuit  Fathers  at 
St.  Ignace.  The  river,  at  the  mouth  of  which  Marquette 
died,  is  a  small  stream,  in  the  western  part  of  Michigan, 
which,  according  to  Parkman,  long  wore  his  name,  but  it 
is  now  changed  to  a  larger  neighboring  stream. 

Two  years  later,  in  the  spring  of  1677,  a  party  of 
Christianized  Kiskakon  Indians,  from  about  Mackinac, 
who  had  been  hunting  in  the  vicinity  of  Marquette's  grave, 
disinterred  his  remains,  cleaned  the  bones  after  their  cus- 
tom, put  them  into  a  birch  bark  box,  and  transported 
them  to  St.  Ignace.  On  the  passage  thitlier,  they  w^ere 
joined  by  other  Indians  in  canoes,  and  the  convoy  moved 
in  procession,  singing  their  doleful  funeral  songs,  until  they 
reached  the  landing  at  the  mission-station.  Here  the  re- 
vered relics  of  the  missionary  were  received  by  Fathers 
Nouvel  and  Pierson,  the  priests  then  in  cliarge,  in  presence 
of  all  the  Frenchmen  and  natives  of  the  place,  and  were 
deposited,  with  solemn  religious  rites,  in  a  vault  under  the 


'Life  of  Father  Marquette,  in  Shea's  "  Discovery  aud  Exploration 
of  tlie  Mississippi  Valley,"  j).  LXX,  and  seq. 

Note. — The  account  of  this  eminent  missionary-explorer's  death  by 
Charlevoix,  formerly  so  generally  received,  is  inaccurate  in  many  par- 
ticulars, because  it  was  derived  from  tradition,  and  not  from  the  con- 
temporary narrative  of  Father  Claude  Dablon,  and  others. 
0 


66 


Great  River  Voyage. 


:\\ 


lit 


floor  of  the  log  chapel.  In  process  of  time  (the  mission 
being  afterward  abandoned)  their  resting  place  was  utterly 
forgotten,  but  it  was  discovered  by  a  clergyman  of  Michi- 
gan, in  1877,  two  centuries  after  the  event. 

So  lived  and  died,  at  the  age  of  eight  and  thirty  years,  the 
meek  and  pious,  yet  fearless  and  self-sacrificing  Pere  Jacques 
Marquette.  He  was  a  model  of  the  religious  order  to  which  he 
belonged,  and  deserved  to  have  been  beatified,  if  not  canon- 
ized as  a  saint.  His  disposition  was  cheerful  and  happy, 
and  his  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  those  aborigines  with  whom 
he  came  in  personal  touch  was  something  wonderful.  This 
was  doubtless  owing  to  his  uniform  kindness  toward 
them,  to  the  purity  of  his  private  life,  and  to  the  grace  and 
charm  of  his  manner  in  the  exercise  of  liis  priestly  func- 
tions. Nor  is  it  incredible,  as  related  by  a  contemporary, 
that  the  Illinois  Indians  should  have  regarded  him  as  a 
messenger  sent  to  them  from  the  Great  Spirit.  His  name 
holds  a  conspicuous  and  honored  place  in  the  history  of  the 
Jesuit  mission  ies  of  North  America,  and  is  inseparably 
associated  with  the  discovery  of  the  CJppec  Mississippi.  It 
is  otherwise  perpetuated  in  the  appellations  of  several 
counties,  towns  and  streams,  in  the  different  states  of  the 
northwest.  Still,  Illinois  owes  him  a  monument  suitable 
to  his  character  and  services. 

We  must  now  resume  and  complete  our  skeleton  sketch 
ot  Joliet's  active  and  diversified  career.  After  returning 
with  Marquette  to  Green  Bay,  in  September,  1673,  he  did  not 
immediately  proceed  to  Canada  to  report  his  discoveries,  as 
is  commonly  supposed,  but  spent  the  following  winter  and 
spring  in  the  upper  lake  country  (engaged,  no  doubt,  in 
the  fur  trafiic),  and  during  the  next  summer  resumed  his 
journey  to  Quebec.  Passing  down  Lakes  Huron,  Erie  and 
and  Ontario,  he  made  a  brief  halt  at  Fort  Frontenac, 
which  had  been  erected  the  year  before,  and  was  then  com- 
manded by  LaSalle.  The  latter  was  probably  among  the 
first  to  learn  the  result  of  Joliet's  voyage  of  exploration  on 
the  Mississippi,  and  may,  perhaps,  have  seen  his  map  and 
journal,  which  were  soon  afterward  lost.  The  Sieur  Jolit^t, 
had  thus  far  been  highly  favored  by  fortune,  and  it  was  not 


Subsequent  Career  of  Job'et. 


67 


until  near  the  end  of  his  long  journey  that  he  met  with 
any  serious  mishaii  But  by  the  accidental  upsetting 
of  his  canoe  in  the  LaChine  rapids,  above  Montreal,  he 
lost  his  two  canoe-men,  and  all  of  bis  valuable  pajxirs.  In 
a  letter  penned  shortly  after  to  (,-overnor  Frontenac,  he 
thus  feelingly  refers  to  his  misfortune : 

"I  Lad  escaped  evory  peril  of  the  Indians;  I  had 
passed  forty-two  rapids,  an<l  was  on  the  point  of  disem- 
barking, full  of  joy  at  the  success  of  so  long  and  difficult 
an  enterprise,  when  my  canoe  capsized  after  all  the  danger 
seemed  over.  I  lost  my  two  men  and  box  of  papers 
within  sight  of  the  iirwt  French  settlement,  which  I  had 
left  almost  two  years  before.  Nothing  remains  to  me  now 
but  my  life,  and  the  ardent  desire  to  --mploy  it  on  any 
service  you  may  direct."  * 

M.  Joliet  finally  reached  Quebec  in  August,  1674,  and 
reported  in  person  to  the  governor.  Being  separated  at  a 
great  distance  from  Marquette,  and  deprived  of  his  papers 
by  casualty,  he  drew  up  a  short  account  of  his  discovery 
from  recollection,  and  also  sk:et<'hed  out  a  map  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. Gov.  F»'ontenac  transmittvid  these  papers  to  France 
during  the  ensuing  JS\)vember,  and  in  a  dispatch  of  the  14th 
of  that  month  to  Minister  Colbert  (inserted  at  the  close  of 
this  chapter),  he  wrote  about  the  "great  river"  as  an  indu- 
bitable fact.f  Father  Dablon,  in  his  writings,  also  gives  an 
account  of  the  voyage,  "describing  Joliet  as  one  who  had 
been  where  no  European  had  ever  set  foot."  X  No  general 
publicity  was  given  by  the  French  government  to  the  dis- 
covery of  the  Mississippi ;  nor  was  Joliet  entrusted  with 
any  new  commission  to  execute  in  the  West.  It  is  averred 
that  in  April,  1677,  he  petitioned  ( '  'Ibert  for  permission  to 
settle  with  a  colony  in  the  country  of  the  Illinois,  but  it 

*  This  letter  is  inscribed  on  Joliet's  map  of  his  discoveries  made  in  1674. 

tThe  papers  have  been  preserved  in  the  Arch  ires  de  la  Marine  at  Paris. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  the  map  publishni  by  Thevenot,  in  connec- 
tion with  Marquette's  Journal,  was  reproduced  from  the  one  made  by 
Joliet  and  forwarded  to  Paris,  as  above  stated.  The  latter  shows  the 
Mississippi  to  the  Gulf,  whereas  Marquette's  autograph  map  shows  that 
river  not  quite  to  the  Arkansas. 

JKingsford's  History  of  Canada,  I.,  p.  405. 


68 


Great  Mher  Voyage. 


was  refused  him  on  the  specious  ground  that  "Canada 
ought  first  to  be  built  up,  strengthened,  and  maintained.''* 
In  truth,  his  modest  merit  seems  to  have  been  thrown 
into  the  shade  by  the  rising  pretensions  of  La  Salle,  who 
had  won  Frontenac's  favor. 

On  October  7,  1675,  at  the  age  of  thirty,  Louis  Joliet 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Claire  Frances  Bissot,  daughter 
of  a  wealthy  Quebec  merchant,  who  was  extensively  en- 
gaged in  trade  with  the  northern  Indians.  In  1679  he 
made  a  journey  of  business  and  exploration  to  Hudson's 
Bay,  going  by  way  of  the  Lower  St.  Lawrence  and  the  river 
Saguenay.  During  the  next  year,  in  tardy  recognition  of  his 
valuable  services  to  the  provincial  government,  he  received 
a  grant  of  the  large  yet  barren  Isle  of  Anticosti,  lying  in 
the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  Taking  possession  of  his  island 
domain  in  1681,  he  erected  a  fortified  house  upon  it,  re- 
moved his  family  thither,  and  embarked  in  the  fisheries. 
But  in  1690  his  establishment  was  destroyed  by  a  naval 
force  from  New  England,  under  the  command  of  Sir  Will- 
iam Phipps,  who  was  on  his  way  to  attack  Quebec;  and 
Joliet's  wife  and  mother-in-law  were  made  prisoners,  and 
held  for  some  months.  In  1693  he  was  appointed  royal 
pilot  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  and  during  the  succeeding 
year  explored  and  mapped  the  bleak  coast  of  Labrador,  a 
work  involving  great  personal  exposure.  April  30,  1697, 
he  was  invested  with  the  "  Seigneury  of  Joliette,"  a  large 
and  since  valuable  estate,  which  lies  on  the  north  side  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  below  Montreal,  in  Beauce  county,  and 
which  is  still  possessed  by  some  of  his  posterity. 

Louis  Joliet  died  comparatively  poor  in  May,  1700, 
being  in  his  fifty-fifth  year,  and  was  buried,  it  is  stated,  on 
one  of  the  Mignan  islands  in  the  St.  Lawrence.  Without 
possessing  any  very  salient  or  brilliant  qualities,  he  was  an 
intelligent,  well-educated  man,  ambitious  and  enterprising, 
undaunted  by  difificulty  or  danger,  and  faithful  in  the  per- 
formance of  every  public  duty.  Few,  if  any,  of  his  con- 
temporaries contributed  more  than  he  did  to  the  geograph- 


Fc 
patch 
Joliet 
South 


*  P^Wt' Margry,  I.,  p.  330. 


*  The 
"  ^Afount  J 
one  and  a 


DUpatch  of  Count  Frontenac. 

ical  knowledge  of  this  continent.  His  snrnume  has  been 
fittingly  preserved  in  the  now  flourishing  city  of  Joliet, 
Illinois,*  and  in  the  nomenclature  of  other  western  locali- 
ties. His  descendants  appear  to  have  inherited  his  virtues 
and  talents ;  and  several  of  them  hold  positions  of  high 
trust  and  responsibility,  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  in  the 
modern  Dominion  of  Canada.  Among  the  number  may 
be  mentioned  the  Hon.  Bartholomew  Joliet,  and  the  emi- 
nent archbishops  Tache  and  Tachereau. 

We  have  nowhere  met  witli  any  description  of  the  per- 
sons of  either  Joliet  or  Manpiette.  Yet,  in  the  absence  of 
such  word  portraiture,  we  may  well  imagine  the  former  to 
have  been  a  man  of  medium  stature,  with  a  lithe,  agile 
ligure,  black  hair  and  eyes,  sharply  cut  features,  and  a 
swarthy  complexion — the  same  being  physical  character- 
istics of  the  average  French-Canadian — while  the  latter 
(Mar([uette)  was  probably  taller,  and  of  a  more  dignified 
and  conmumding  presence. 


Following  is  a  translation  of  Count  Frontenac's  dis- 
patch to  Minister  Colbert  in  relation  to  the  return  of  M. 
Joliet  from  his  voyage  to  discover  the  Mississippi  and  the 

South  Sea : 

Quebec,  \Ath  November,  1674. 

The  Sieur  Joliet,  whom  ^[.  Talon  advised  me  when  I  arrived  from 
France  to  send  to  discover  the  south  sea,  returned  here  three  months 
since,  and  has  discovered  some  admirable  countries,  and  a  navigation  so 
easy  by  the  line  rivers,  that  he  found  that  from  from  Lake  Ontario  and 
Fort  Frontenac  they  could  go  in  barques  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  having 
only  to  unload  once,  where  Lake  Erie  falls  into  Lake  Ontario. 

These  are  some  of  the  enterprises  they  could  work  upon  when  peace 
is  established,  and  it  shall  please  the  king  to  push  these  discoveries. 

He  has  been  within  ten  days  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  believes 
that  the  rivers  which  from  the  west  side  empty  into  the  great  river 
which  he  has  discovered,  which  runs  north  to  south    .     .     .     ,  and  that 


*  The  name,  in  this  instance,  was  taken  more  immediately  from 
"  Mount  Joliet,"  a  large  natural  mound  in  the  valley  of  the  Des  Plaines, 
one  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  the  city. 


70 


Dispatch  of  Count  Frontenac. 


they  will  find  some  communication  by  waters  which  will  lead  to  the 
Vermillion  Sea  and  that  of  California. 

I  send  you  by  my  secretary  the  map  which  he  has  made  and  the 
remarks  which  he  is  able  to  remember,  having  lost  all  his  memoirs  and 
journals  in  the  shipwreck  which  he  suffered  in  sight  of  Montreal,  where, 
after  a  voyage  of  twelve  hundred  leagues,  he  came  near  being  drowned, 
and  lost  all  his  papers  and  a  little  Indian  that  he  was  bringing  back 
with  h  in. 

He  had  left  at  Lake  Superior,  with  the  Fathers  at  Sault  Ste.  ^larie, 
copies  of  his  journals,  which  we  can  not  obtain  until  next  year ;  through 
these  you  will  learn  more  of  the  particulars  of  that  discovery  in  which 
he  u  quitted  himself  very  creditably.  Frontenac. 


'mt. 


La  Salle  and  His  Early  Explorations. 


71 


CHAPTER  IV. 


1666-1(580. 


liA    SALLE    AND    HIS    EARLY    EXPLORATIONS. 


While  to  Joliet  and  Marquette  are  rightly  accorded  the 
honor  of  having  first  brought  to  .he  knowle(ige  of  the  civil- 
ized world  the  immense  extent  and  grandeur  of  the  Missis- 
8il)pi  Valley,  yet  the  fortunes  of  the  French  in  this  part  of 
Northern  Americii  were  greatly  advanced  by  the  energy, 
enterprise,  perseverance,  and  endurance  of  the  Sieur  de 
la  Salle.  If  the  former  had  discovered  and  navigated  the 
Mississippi  Kiver  from  the  Wisconsin  to  the  Arkansas,  it 
was  reserved  for  the  latter  and  his  coadjutors  to  extend  and 
perfect  that  discovery  from  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  to 
the  Mexican  Sea. 

Robert  Cavelier,  Sieur  de  la  Salle,*  whose  remarkable 
career  now  claims  our  attention,  was  born  at  Rouen  in 
Normandy,  France,  November  22,  1643.  His  father,  Jean 
(Cavelier,  and  liis  uncle  Henri,  were  opnict  meivhants  and 
hiirgliers  of  that  ancient  and  still  '  .".ely  city.  The  son  re- 
ceived a  liberal  education,  conmicnsurate  with  the  means 
of  his  parents,  and  with  those  marked  traits  of  intellect  and 
character  which  lie  early  exhibited.  As  a  school-boy,  he 
evinced  an  inclination  for  the  exact  sciences,  and  particu- 
larly the  mathematics,  in  which  he  a[tpears  to  have  made 
great  proficiency. 

While  still  a  minor,  La  Salle  l)ecame  a  member  of  tlio 
Society  of  Jesus,  and  studied  and  taught  for  several  years 
ill  their  8ch(»ols.  Hut  on  attaining  to  man's  estate,  his 
growing  ambition  and  love  of  independence  impelled  him 
to  withdraw  from  that  imperious  and  exacting  order  of  re- 
ft is  told  by  one  of  his  biographers  that  "  he 


ligionists 


'  He  is  paid  to  liavc  been  (•uIUm!  l,ii  SulU'  frnmim  cstat'.'  of  that  name 
near  Kout'ii,  belonging  to  \hv  (^avcliers. 


72 


La  Salle's  Early  Life. 


vl 


1!) 


parted  from  them  on  good  tenvm,  and  with  an  excellent 
repntation  for  scholarship  and  strict  morals,"  yet  it  is  cer- 
tain that  he  never  afterward  cherished  any  liking  for  tiie 
order.  In  fact,  his  connection  with  the  Jesnits  caused 
him  to  forfeit,  under  the  rigid  French  law,  the  inherit- 
ance to  Avliich  he  would  otherwise  have  been  entitled  from 
his  father,  who  died  about  that  time.  But  an  allowance 
was  made  to  him  of  four  liundred  livrcs  a  year  (about 
eighty  dollars),  the  principal  of  which  was  advanced  to 
him  for  the  first  year;  and,  with  this  insignificant  sum, 
lie  quitted  his  patermil  home  and  sailed  for  Canada  in  the 
spring  of  1(36B. 

We  next  find  our  youi'g  adver.turer  at  Montreal, 
wliither  he  had  been  preceded  by  his  elder  brother,  the 
Abb»''  Jean  Oavelier,  who  was  a  priest  of  the  order  of  St. 
Sulpice,  and  whose  pr'\;once  there  was  an  additi(Mial  in- 
ducement for  Kol>ert  to  try  his  own  fortune  in  this  newly 
opened  country.  As  before  stated,  the  superior  and  priests 
of  the  Semimiry  of  St.  8ulpice  had  become  fcuchd  proprie- 
tors of  the  large  Isla'.f^  of  Montreal,  and  wished  to  have 
it  settled  and  improved  They  now  made  young  La  Salle 
a  libci'al  otter,  which,  under  the  advice  of  his  brother, 
he  accepted.  It  was  the  grant,  on  easy  conditions,  of  a 
large  tra-'t  of  Mid  land  on  the  north  side  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence, about  ten  miles  above  the  then  village  of  Montreal, 
but  still  on  the  island  of  tiuit  name.  The  lot-ality  was  ex- 
posed to  incursions  from  the  hostile  lro([uois,  but  it  was 
very  conveniently  situated  for  thefur-iratfic.  Taking  pos- 
session of  his  nev  donuiin  in  the  fall  of  16(>7,  he  uuirked 
out  the  l)ou)ulai'ies  of  a  village,  and  began  to  dispose  ot  his 
lands  in  snudl  parcels,  after  tlie  French  *  ustom,  to  actual 
Hi'tllers,  who  wiU'c  to  pay  liim  an  annual  rental  tlu^'efor. 
Tlie  place  subse«|Uently  took  the  name  of  La  Chine,  which 
was  given  to  It  in  derision  of  Its  proprietor's  early  schemes 
for  the  tliscovery  of  a  wesiern  i»assHge  to  Chimi.  Mean 
Hhile,  to  ([ualily  himself  for  the  stirring  life  before  him,  he 
commenced  studying  thr  Indian  languages,  and  particularly 
the  Inxpiois,  in  which  he  made  eoi'sidcrable  proticiency. 

ft'ino  liis  frontier  jiost  on  the  banks  of  the  noble  St. 


Law  re  I 

rhe  dist 

and,  lik 

age,  he 

Ocean. 

visited 

Oiitari* 

took  its 

at  so  gr 

mouth. 

Ohio,  ai 

and,  wit 

])08ed  to 

The  stor 

that  he  ( 

rc'i»aired 

tile  l'roj( 

gave  hii 

stood  pr 

nothing, 

and  intei 

ary  aid  v 

was  uiid 

('hine  to 

disposed 

Seminar} 

ainountir 

canoes  ai 

At  t 

■^inlilar  ui 

its,  the  pi 

sioii  at  th 

pr()[)08ed 

distarit  w 

this  purp 

tThJH 
IIm'  a  hi,.!  .1. 
Truuvd,  but 


His  First  Appearance  Hi  Vdiiada, 


73 


Lawrence,  the  thougbts  of  La  Salle  often  wandered  over 
the  distant  and  untrodden  regions  toward  tiie  setting  sun, 
and,  like  other  inquisitive  and  s[)eeulative  minds  of  tiuit 
ao-e,  he  dreamed  of  a  western  water-way  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  While  thus  working  and  musing,  he  was  one  (hiy 
visited  by  a  small  band  of  Henecas,*  from  thesoutb  of  Lake 
Ontario,  who  told  him  of  a  river  called  the  Ohio,  which 
took  its  rise  in  their  country,  and  tlowed  ofi-'to  the  sea,  but 
at  so  great  a  distance  that  it  took  eight  months  to  reac^h  its 
jiiouth.  In  this  exaggerated  statement,  tbe  AlK'gbany, 
Ohio,  and  Mississi[»[i  were  all  considered  as  one  stretim, 
iiiMl,with  the  geographical  ideas  then  prevalent,  it  wassup- 
jiosed  to  fall  into  the  Sea  of  Cortes,  or  Gulf  of  (California. 
The  story  of  these  Indians  so  kindled  Lii  Halle's  inuiginalion 
that  he  determined  to  make  an  ex]>edill»ui  to  vctil'y  it,  iind 
re[)aired  to  Quebec  to  obtain  (lov.  CourcelleH'  approval  of 
the  i)roject.  Both  the  governor  and  Intendant  promptly 
gave  him  the  desired  letters  of  authority.  In  fact,  they 
stood  prepared  to  sanction  any  enter{)rise  tjnit  cost  them 
iiotliiiig,  and  yet  promised  an  extension  of  French  tralfic 
and  intei>ourse  anuMig  the  western  Indians.  As  no  pecuni- 
ary aitl  was  proffered  by  the  (^ainidian  officials,  La  Halle 
was  under  the  nei'essity  of  selling  his  "  <*oncession  "  at  La 
(•liine  to  raise  funds  for  liis  exploration.  He  accordingly 
disjyosed  of  his  improvements  there  to  tbe  superior  of  tbe 
Seminary  of  Ht.  Hidpice,  and  with  the  proceeds  of  tbe  sale, 
amounting  to  twenty-eight  hundred  livres,  punfbased  four 
canoes  and  the  re(juisite  suj»r»lies  for  tbe  expfdition. 

At  the  same  time  tbe  Senunary  was  [ireimi  ing  for  a 
similar  undertaking.  Kmulating  tbe  example  of  the  Jesu- 
its, the  priests  of  this  association  bad  already  founded  a  mie- 
sion  at  tlie  Ibiy  of  Quintef  on  Ontario  Lake,  and  they  now 
proposed  to  extend  their  operations  to  tbe  tribes  i>i  the 
distant  west.  An  ex[)edition  was  therefore  set  on  foot  for 
this  purpose,  under  tbe  management  of  Katlnus  l)oHi(M'de 


•On(«  of  tlio  flvo  triboH  thon  compoHinif  Ha-  IroiiutuH  Nntion. 

tThis  misBioii  wuh  cstubliHlKMl  lUl)llll^  tlu;  (^ayugas  in  KKIH,  by 
till'  AIiIm'  lie  I'Viit'lon,  ii  hrotlicrMf  \hv  author  of  TcleinacliUH,  and  Cliindo 
'rrutivo,  but  it  ilooH  not  appear  to  havo  bcou  v«^ry  HiKHu^Hsful. 


74 


La  Salle  and  His  Early  Explorations. 


l!' 


t"!ii 


i*i 


Oasson  and  Rene  de  Galinee.  But  on  going  down  to  Que- 
bec to  procure  the  requisite  outfit,  they  were  advised  by 
the  governor  to  modify  their  plans  so  as  to  act  with  La 
Salle  in  exploring  ihe  unknown  river  to  the  southwest. 
In  accordance  with  his  suggestion  the  two  expeditions 
were  merged  into  one — an  arrangement  ill-suited  to  the 
temper  of  young  La  Salle,  who  was  formed  by  nature  for 
an  untrammeled  leader  rather  than  a  co-partner  in  any  en- 
terprise. 

It  was  on  the  6th  of  July,  1669,  that  the  combined 
party,  numbering  some  twenty-two  men,  with  seven  canoes, 
embarked  upon  the  St.  Lawrence.  Accompanying  them 
were  two  other  canoes,  carrying  the  party  of  Seneca 
Indians  who  had  wintered  at  La  Salle's  settlement,  and 
who  were  to  act  as  guides  and  interpreters.  On  the  2d  of 
August,  after  having  stemmed  the  impetuous  current  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  and  threaded  the  mazes  of  the  Thousand 
Isles,  the  adventurous  explorers  emerged  upon  the  broad 
and  deep  bosom  of  Lake  '^)ntai5o.  Passing  thence  to  a 
small  bay  in  the  sout^  *  i  part  of  the  lake,  they  were  pi- 
loted by  their  guides  to  the  village  of  the  latter,  near  the 
Genesee  River.  Arrived  there,  they  expected  to  find  other 
guides  to  conduct  them  to  the  sources  of  the  Ohio ;  but 
the  Senecas  refused  to  furnish  a  guide,  and  even  burned 
before  their  eyes  a  young  prisoner  taken  from  one  of  the 
western  tribes,  he  being  the  only  person  who  could  luive 
served  them  in  that  capacity.  This,  with  other  unfriendly 
treatment  experienced  by  the  party  of  La  Salle,  caused 
them  to  suspect  that  the  Jesuit  priest  at  the  village,  who 
acted  as  their  interpreter,  was  jealous  of  their  enterprise, 
and  had  purposely  misrepresented  it  to  the  Indians,  in 
order  to  defeat  it.  After  lingering  at  this  place  about  a 
month,  they  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet  with  an  Indian 
from  an  Iroqupis  settlement  near  the  head  of  the  lake, 
who  told  them  tliey  could  there  find  wliat  the^  wanted, 
and  othu'ed  to  be  their  conductor. 

Gladly  accepting  his  profi'ercd  assistance, the  explorers 
left  the  Senecas  ar\d  coaste(  ..  un"^  up  the  soutbern 
shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  pasu'oi.  in  !,htr.  \\'v  the  month  of 


^r^M'Vt^^ 


His  First  Journey  of  Exploration. 


lb 


of 


the  Niagara,  and  on  the  24th  of  September  reached  the 
village  of  Otinawatawa,  near  the  present  town  of  Hamil- 
ton. Here  they  were  received  by  the  natives  in  a  friendly 
manner,  and  La  Salle  was  presented  with  a  Shawanoe  pris- 
oner, who  assured  him  that  the  Ohio  could  be  reached  in 
six  weeks'  time,  and  that  he  would  guide  his  party  thither. 
Pleased  with  this  proposal,  they  were  about  to  set  out  on 
the  journey,  when  they  unexpectedly  learned  of  the  arrival 
of  two  other  Frenchmen  at  a  neighboring  village.  One  of 
them  proved  to  be  Louis  Joliet,  who  was  returning  to  Que- 
bec from  a  trip  to  Lake  Superior.  He  gave  to  the  Sulpitian 
priests  a  copy  of  a  map  that  he  had  made,  representing 
such  parts  of  the  upper  lakes  as  he  had  visited,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  told  them  of  the  Pottawatomies  and  other  tribes 
in  that  region,  who  stood  in  great  need  of  spiritual  in- 
struction. 

On  receiving  this  piece  of  information,  the  missionaries 
resolved  that  the  Indians  on  those  lakes  must  not  sit  in  outer 
darkness,  and  that  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  miglit 
be  effected  as  well  by  a  nortiiern  route,  as  by  going  farther 
southward.  La  Salle  remonstrated  without  avail  against 
their  determination,  for  it  was  in  accordance  witli  their 
original  design.  He  had  been  troubled  for  some  time  with  an 
intermittent  fever,  and  finding  liis  remonstrance  unheeded, 
he  informed  them  that  his  physical  condition  would  not 
admit  of  his  accompanying  them  farther.  This  plea  of 
sickness  was  no  doubt  a  ruse  to  bring  about  a  separation, 
which  was  now  agreed  upon.  After  the  solemnization 
of  mass  La  Salle  and  his  men  fell  back  to  Lake  Ontario; 
while  the  Sulpitians  descended  Grand  River  to  Lake  Erie, 
and  thence  pursued  their  voyage  up  the  lakes.  On  arriving 
among  the  Indians  at  Ste.  Marie  du  Haut,  they  found,  as  La 
Salle  hud  surmised,  the  Jesuit  fatliers  already  established  in 
that  western  region,  and  that  they  wanted  no  asHiHtance  from 
the  ])ric8ts  of  St.  Sulpice.  The  latter  therefore  retraced  their 
lonely  course,  and  reached  MontrealonthelSthof  June,  1670, 
without  havingbegnn  any  mission  or  converted  any  Lidians.* 

•  But  De  (ialiuce,  after  liiH  roturii,  unulv  the  earliest  inup  of  the  Upper 
Lakes  kuowu  to  exist.-   rarknuin'B  "  La  .salle  ami  tlie  (Jreat  West,"  p.  L'L 


^ 


76 


La  Salle  and  his  Earbj  Explorations. 


The  course  pursuecl  b^  La  Salle,  after  his  separation 
from  the  Sulpitian  priests,  >  involved  in  obscurity.  It  i> 
affirmed  that  some  of  his  un  n  now  forsook  him  and  re- 
turned to  La  Chine,  which  is  not  improbable.  He  is  known 
to  have  kept  private  journals  or  records  of  his  exploration^ 
at  this  period,  which  were  in  existence  as  late  as  1756,  but 
they  never  saw  the  light  of  print.  The  oidy  contempo- 
raneous and  connected  record  of  his  movements  is  contained 
in  a  pamphlet  bearing  the  title  of  "  ITisfoire  r/e  Monsieur  d 
la  Salle.'"'  It  gives  an  account  of  his  explorations  and  of  tlh 
state  of  parties  in  Canada  prior  to  the  year  1678,  and  pur 
ports  to  have  been  derived  by  its  unknown  writer  from  L, 
Salle  himself,  in  the  course  of  a  dozen  conversations  had  witi 
him  in  Paris,  whither  he  had  gone  from  Canada  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1677.  According  to  this  anonymous  memoir,  Lu 
Salle,  after  leaving  the  head  of  Lake  Ontario,  went  to  a 
vill;i'""<!  of  the  Onondagas,  in  what  is  now  New  York,  where 
he  obi.vined  guides,  and  thence  made  his  way  southward 
to  a  tributary-  of  the  Ohio  (probably  the  Alleghany),  which 
he  descended  to  the  main  river,  and  followed  it  "as  far 
as  to  a  rapid  that  obstructed  it,"  at  tlie  site  of  what  is 
now  Louisville.  It  is  asserted  by  some  writers  that  he 
continued  his  descent  of  the  Ohio  from  that  point  to  itn 
conHuence  with  tbe  Mississippi,  but  this  is  no  doubt  a 
fiction.* 

This  tour  of  ex]tloration  is  hupposed  to  have  been 
nuide  during  the  fall  and  winter  of  1669-'70;  for  it  ap- 
pears that  the  celebrated  roi/affeur,  Nicholas  Perrot,  met  Lu 
Salle  in  the  early  summer  of  1670,  hunting  with  a  party  of 
Iroquois  on  the  Ottawa.  That  he  discovered  the  Ohio,  is 
a  pretty  well  autlienticated  fact.     He  himself  affirmed  it, 


*"  Pierre  IVlarirry,  a  rec(>nt  Freneli  writer,  asserts  Miat  In  1070-'71 
La  Salle  deReeruUd  tin'  Ohio  to  tlu'  MiRsissippi  i  Dussieux,  Canada,  p. 
37);  but  the  proof  haw  not  hccn  jiiven,  and,  not  improbably,  is  a  dclii- 
Bion,  an  no  notice  of  the  fact  appears  in  any  document  of  the  time,  and 
the  friends  of  La  Snlle  woul<l  not  ho  likely  to  omit  an  expedition  giving 
him  a  prioritv  to  the  diseovcry  of  the  MiHsissippi ;  nor  would  La  yalle, 
having  a  post  al  Niagara,  ovt'rlook  the  advantagi'sof  following  the  same 
course  to  the  Mississipi)!."— Note  by  J.  G.  Shea  to  WaHhington'u  Diary 
of  his  tour  to  the  Ohio  in  1753,  printed  in  New  York,  1800. 


in  a  mei 
Moreover 
of  tlie  Mi 
Ohio  is 
tions  to  tl 
But  his  c: 
approi>ria 
word  sign 
reveal  its 
Wabash  w 
With 
years  1671 
before  cite 
party  on  I 
Luke  lliii 
Lake  Mic 
lake  ;  that 
Illinois)  tl( 
Mississipp* 
allel  of  la 


His  Discovery  of  the  Ohio. 


77 


in  a  memorial  addressed  to  Count  Frontenac  in  1677. 
Moreover,  Lis  rival,  Joliet,  made  two  maps  of  the  region 
of  the  Mississippi  and  great  lakes,  on  both  of  which  the 
Ohio  is  Uiid  down,  though  not  correctly,  with  inscrip- 
tions to  the  eft'ect  that  it  had  been  explored  by  La  Salle. 
But  his  exploration  of  this  n(jble  river  (which  the  French 
appr()})riately  nanied  La  Belle  Biriere,  from  the  Irocpiois 
word  signifying  beautiful),  was  not  sufficiently  extensive  to 
reveal  its  true  character,  nor  to  disclose  the  fact  that  the 
Wabash  was  simply  one  of  its  tributaries. 

With  regard  to  La  Salle's  ])eregrinations  durijig  the 
years  1671  and  1672,  we  learn  from  the  apocryphal  memoir 
before  cited,  that  he  embarked  with  aii  ex})lorii»g  or  trading 
party  on  Lake  Erie,  ascended  the  Detroit  and  St.  Clair  to 
Luke  Huron,  passed  the  Straits  of  ?vlichilimackinac  into 
Lake  Michigan,  and  on  to  the  southern  extremity  of  this 
lakr  ;  tliat  he  thence  crossed  the  country  to  a  riA/er  (the 
Illinois)  flowing  to  the  southwest,  which  he  foHowed  to  the 
Mississippi,  and  thence  down  that  stream  to  the  36th  }>ar- 
alk'l  of  latitude.  Arrived  thither,  and  being  convinced 
that  tile  great  rivtir  had  its  discharge  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
he  returned  on  his  course,  intending  at  some  future  time  to 
explore  it  to  its  mouth. 

l/ittk',  if  any,  weiglit  <'an  be  allowed  to  tlie  above 
.iicredihle  story.  La  Hiillc  was,  ul  this  [leriod,  leading  the 
life  of  a  c.ourcur  de  bois.  It  is  doulitless  true  that  he  was 
employed  in  some  work  •!' exploration.  Lideed,  it  appears 
from  an  official  despatch  of  M.  Talon  in  1671,  that  he  had 
been  "sent  southward  and  westward  to  ex()lore";  but  tliis 
nniy  have  only  referred  io  tlu'  region  south  of  \he  lower 
lakes,  and  it  is  not  uidikely  that  at  this  ;in»e  he  made  tlie 
discovery  of  the  Ohio.  Mr.  Parkjium,  in  hi^  "La  Salle  and 
the  Discovery  of  the  Great  West,"  after  learnedly  discussing 
this  obscure  and  controverted  portion  of  \a\  l**alle's  career, 
thus  concludes:  "La  Salle  discovered  the  Ohi(»,  and  in  all 
probability  the  Illinois;  but  that  be  discovered  the  Mississippi 
has  not  been  proved,  nor,  in  the  light  of  the  evidence  u»' 
have,  is  it  likely  to  b"."  For  our  own  part,  we  very  much 
((iiestion  if  he  «ver  saw  the  Ibinois  Kiver,  or  any  branch  of 


78 


La  Salle  and  His  Early  Explorations. 


it,  prior  to  December,  1679,  though,  as  suggested  by  Mr. 
Shea,  he  might  have  reached  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph 
ill  Lake  Michigan. 


The  expedition  of  Joliet  and  Marquette  had  well  nigh 
demonstrated  the  fact  that  the  Mississippi  emptied  its  vast 
volume  of  waters  into  the  Mexican  Gulf;  but  this  was  far 
from  satisfying  the  mind  of  La  Salle,  who  wished  to  see 
an«l  know  for  himself.  He  had  read  th.3  published  narra- 
tives of  the  Spanisii  adventurers  in  the  southwest,  and 
heard  the  vague  stories  of  the  Indians,  and  he  seems  to 
have  entertained  the  idea  (first  put  forth  in  Marquette's  jour- 
nal) that,  by  ascending  the  Missouri,  or  some  other  western 
affluent  of  the  Mississippi,  it  would  be  found  to  interlock 
with  another  stream  running  southwest  to  the  Vermilion, 
or  Gulf  of  California,  and  thus  attbrd  the  desired  passage 
to  the  Pacific*  Xor  was  this  theory  so  chimerical  as  it 
might  first  appear;  for  by  mounting  the  Platte  River  to  its 
source  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  one  may  thence  readily 
pass  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Colorado,  which  fiows  off 
into  the  Gulf  of  Culifor?iia.  But,  above  all.  La  Salic  longed 
to  trace  the  Mississippi  itself  to  the  sea,  and  thus  acquire 
for  himself  the  distinction  he  coveted,  and  for  his  sover- 
eign an  embryo  empire.  It  was  several  years,  however, 
before  he  could  resume  and  carry  out  any  of  his  bold 
schemes  of  exph^-ation  and  discovery. 

In  the  meantime,  he  sought  and  gaiiunl  the  patronage 
of  Governor  Frontenac .  No  sooner  had  that  astute  func- 
tionary been  iiistalied  in  oflice,  than  he  eagerly  scanned  tlie 
resources  of  the  colony,  and  prepared  to  bring  them  under 
his  own  control.  Ilising  advised  that  the  InKjuois,  at  the 
instigation  of  the  English,  were  ijitriguing  with  the  Ind- 
ians of  the  upper  lakes  to  break  their  failii  with  the  Frerwih, 
and  transfer  their  trade  in  furs  from  Montreal  to  Alhuiiy 

*Tho  (ieluHlvo  Idott  of  a  water-way  to  the  PaclHr  WU8  partly  derived 
hy  the  French  from  tlie  Hpaiiiards,  who,  durnig  the  prcce(llng  century, 
had  scoured  the  coaatH  of  Mexico  and  <!entra)  America  in  tjje  vain  qiiest 
lor  a  HtrnU  iirinnoutJug  iho  twci  oceg^og. 


Founding  of  Fort  Frontenac. 


79 


and  N'ew  York,  he  determined  to  couiiteriict  that  design 
bv  erecting  a  fort  and  depot  near  the  ontlet  of  Lake  Onta- 
rio. Not  wishing  to  excite  the  jealonsy  of  the  Canadian 
merchants  and  traders,  he  gave  out  that  he  only  intended 
to  make  a  tour  of  observation  to  the  upper  part  of  the  col- 
ony. But,  lacking  means  of  his  own  for  the  enterprise,  he 
required  the  principal  merchants  of  Quebec  and  Montreal 
to  each  furnish  him  with  a  certain  number  of  men  and 
canoes.  When  the  spring  of  167-3  had  opened,  he  sent  La 
Salle  in  advance  from  Montreal  to  Onondaga,  to  invite  the 
Iroquois  sachems  to  meet  him  in  council  at  the  foot  of 
Lake  Frontenac  (Ontario),  while  he  followed  at  his  leisure 
up  the  St.  Lawrence.  In  response  to  tlie  invitation  sent 
them,  the  Indians  resorted  in  considerable  numbers  to  the 
appointed  place  of  meeting,  and  were  well  pleased  with 
the  attentions  there  shown  them  by  the  governor,  who  was 
the  first  Frenchman  to  address  them  by  the  name  of  "chil- 
dren," instead  of  "brothers."  Cajoled  by  his  blandish- 
mtMits  and  presents,  and  awed  by  his  audacity  and  show  of 
force,  they  acquiesced  in  the  erection  of  a  fort  at  the  m^uth 
of  Cataraqui  Creek,  where  Kingston  now  stands. 

The  building  of  this  fort  (which  was  begun  in  July  of 
that  year,  and  was  called  Frontenac  after  its  founder),  was 
ill  violation  of  the  existing  regulations  of  the  king,  which 
rccpiired  the  fur-(U»a(ers  to  (uirry  on  their  trade  with  tiio 
natives  within  the  borders  of  the  rreni^h  settlements.  Still, 
in  view  of  lis  importani'e  as  a  means  of  overawing  the 
roHlbiKH  li'oqiioJH,  all  ((jt'linb'iil  obJcctionH  were  waived,  and 
provision  was  made  for  its  nuillituinuioe,  "  Witji  tlie  aid 
of  a  vessel  tiovv  btlllding,'*  w|-lto8  l^'ronteiiac  at  tills  Hliin, 
'•we  can  comnuind  the  lake,  keep  peace  with  tjie  Troquois, 


and  cut  off  the  fur-triide  from  t)iu  liJMgliHli.  Willi  aiiotlier 
fort  at  Niagara,  and  a  second  vessel  on  the  river  above,  wo 
•  nil  coidrol  flic  entire  chain  of  lakes."  These  exfensive 
views  accorded  well  with  the  schemes  of  La  Halle,  who,  us 
we  shall  see,  was  soon  cniployed  in  piiUing  iheni  info 
pnicfine. 

Ill    November,    Hi74,   LaSalle   ernbiirkcd    for    France, 


!  m 


'I  I 

!   i 


!  I 


;  it 


80 


La  Salle  and  Mis  Early  Explorations. 


lip 


with  letters  of  recommendation  from  the  governor*  and 
others,  and,  on  his  arrival  at  Versailles,  presented  two  pe- 
titions to  the  king  (Louis  XIV.) ;  the  one  for  a  patent  of 
nobility,  in  consideration  of  his  valuable  services  as  an  ex- 
plorer; and  the  other  for  a  grant  in  seigniory  of  Fort 
Frontenac  and  the  adjoining  lands.  lie  proposed  to  reim- 
burse the  king  for  the  ten  thousand  livres  which  the  new- 
post  had  cost  him ;  to  maintain  it  at  his  own  charge,  with 
a  garrison  equal  to  that  of  Montreal,  besides  a  score  of  la- 
borers ;  to  form  a  French  colony  around  it ;  to  build  a 
church  whenever  the  number  of  inhabitants  should  reach 
one  hundred,  and  in  the  meantime  to  support  one  or  more 
Recollet  friars;  and,  finally,  to  form  a  settlement  of  do- 
mesticated Indians  in  the  neighborhood.  Tliese  liberal 
offers,  on  the  part  of  LaSalle,  were  accepted  by  the  crown; 
and  by  letters-patent  of  the  13th  of  May,  1675,  he  was 
raised  to  the  rank  of  the  untitled  nobility. f  At  the  same 
time  he  received  a  grant  of  Fort  Frontenac,  and  the  lands 
contiguous,  to  the  extent  of  four  and  one-half  leagues  in 
front  and  one-half  league  in  dei)th,  besides  the  neighbor- 
ing islands,  and  was  also  invested  with  the  government  of 
the  fort  and  settlement,  subject  to  the  provincial  governor. 
After  LaSalle's  favorable  reception  at  court,  his  more 
wealthy  relations  in  liouen  advanced  him  consideral)le 
sums  of  money,  which  put  him  in  position  to  fulfill  the 
more  important  obligations  annexed  to  his  grant,  and  he 
now  returned  to  Caiuida  the  proprietor  of  what  promised 
to  be  one  of  the  most  valuable  estates  in  the  province. 


*  In  a  despatch  to  Minister  Colbert,  of  tlie  14th  of  November,  1()74, 
Frontenac  thus  conimends  his  favorite:  "I  can  not  help,  Mousi  ur, 
recommending  to  you  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  who  is  about  to  go  to  France, 
and  who  is  a  man  of  intelligence  and  ability — more  capable  than  any 
body  else  I  know  here,  to  ac('onij)lish  every  kind  of  enterprise  and  dis- 
covery which  may  be  entrusted  to  him,  since  he  has  the  most  pc'-^'xt 
knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  country,  as  you  will  see  if  you  are  <Vm>- 
posed  to  give  him  a  few  moments  of  audience."— I'arkmau's  Discov-  v 
of  the  Great  West,  p.  m. 

t  This  was  an  empty  kind  of  honor,  with  which  the  Kings  of  France 
were  wont  to  gratify  the  vanity  and  reward  the  services  of  their  niuro 
deserving  subjects. 


His  Letters  Patent  from  the  Kitif/. 


81 


During  the  two  following  years,  while  all  New  France  was 
beini{  rent  and  torn  by  civil  and  ecclesiastical  feuds,  he  was 
busily  occupied  in  clearing  his  lands,  strengthening  his 
fort,  and  developing  his  seigniory.  In  addition  to  furnish- 
ing the  stipulated  military  and  clerical  forces,  and  erecting 
a  chapel  for  the  use  of  the  latter,  he  built  three  or  four 
decked  boats,  or  brigantines,  to  carry  freight  on  Lake  On- 
\iino, — to  the  head  of  which  it  was  next  proposed  to  ad- 
vance. He  was  now  on  the  high  road  to  fortune,  if  riches 
laid  Ix'cn  his  only  object,  and  he  consequently  became  a 
nark  for  the  shafts  of  the  envious  and  malevolent,  or  those 
whose  opinions  and  interests  conflicted  with  his  own. 

Meanwhile,  he  did  not  relinquish  his  favoriti'  design 
of  exploration.  In  the  autunm  of  1677,  he  again  went  to 
France,  and  laid  his  plans  before  Jean  Bajjtiste  Colbert, 
then  minister  for  the  colonies,  and  the  great  promoter  of 
French  industry  and  conmierce.  LaSalle  dilated  upon  the 
innnense  extent  of  the  western  country,  its  endless  natural 
resources,  and  the  advantages  that  would  accrue  from  colo- 
nizing it  and  opening  trade  with  its  numerous  native  tribes. 
For  this  i>urpose,  he  asked  permission  and  authority  to  ex- 
j)lore  and  build  forts  in  the  westj^rn  valleys,  with  seigniorial 
rights  over  all  hands,  that  he  might  discover  and  colonize 
within  the  period  of  tvv^enty  years.  His  peiition  was  fa- 
vorably considered  by  the  minister,  and  Letters  were  accord- 
ingly issued  to  him  by  the  crown.  But  he  was  required  to 
complete  his  enterprise  within  live  years  instead  of  twenty, 
iiH  desired.  Following  is  an  Knglish  cojn'  of"  tliis  curious 
utid  inqiortant  state  paper: 


H  11 


"•  Luids,  hy  the  Grace  of  God,  Kinci  of  France  ami  Naoarre: 
"To  our  dear  and  well-beloved  Robert  Oavelier,  Sieur 
de  la  Salle : 

"  We  have  received,  with  favor,  the  very  bumble  pe- 
tition which  has  been  presented  to  us  in  your  name,  to  per- 
mit you  to  endeavor  to  discover  the  western  part  of  our 
icountry  of  New   France,  and  we  have  consented  to  this 
'proposal  the  more  willingly,  because  there  is  nothing  we 
6 


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33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

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(716)  (I73-4S03 


'■ 


82 


LnSffUe  avd  His  Early  Explorations. 


■(     !l 


have  more  at  heart  tluiu  the  discovery  of  this  couiitr^^ 
througli  which  it  is  |>robahle  tliat  a  passage  may  be  fouiul 
to  Mexico ;  ami  because  your  diligence  in  clearing  the 
lands  which  we  granted  to  you  by  the  decree  of  our  coun- 
cil of  tlie  18tli  of  May,  1675,  and  by  letters  patent  of  the 
same  date,  to  form  habitations  upon  the  said  lands  and  to 
put  Fort  Frontenac  in  a  good  state  of  defense,  the  seigni- 
ory and  government  whereof  we  likewise  granted  to  you, 
attbrds  us  every  reason  to  hope  that  you  will  succeed  to  our 
satisfaction,  and  to  our  subjects  of  the  said  country.  For 
these  reasons  and  others  thereunto  moving  ns,  we  have  per- 
mitted and  do  liereby  permit  you,  by  these  presents,  signed 
by  our  liand,  to  endeavor  to  discover  the  western  part  of 
our  country  of  New  France,  and  for  the  execution  of  ilm 
enterprise,  to  construct  forts  wherever  you  shall  deem  it 
necessary;  which  it  is  our  will  that  you  shall  hold  on  the 
same  terms  and  conditions  as  Fort  Frontenac,  agreeably 
and  conformably  to  our  said  letters  patent  of  the  13th  of 
May,  1675,  v/hicli  we  have  confirmed,  as  far  as  is  needful. 
and  hereby  confirm  by  these  presents.  And  it  is  our 
pleasure  that  they  be  executed  according  to  tlieii'  foi'm  and 
tenor. 

"  To  accom[dish  this,  and  every  thing  above  mentioned, 
we  give  you  full  powers,  on  condition,  however,  that  you 
shall  finish  this  enterprine  within  five  years^  in  default  ot 
which  these  ju'esents  shall  be  void  and  of  none  effect;  that 
you  carry  on  no  trade  whatever  witli  the  savages  t;alkMl 
Oiifaoitacs,*  and  others  who  bring  their  beaver  skins  and 
other  peltries  to  Montival  ;  and  that  the  whole  shall  be 
done  at  your  exjtense,  and  that  of  your  company  to  whicli 
we  have  granted  the  [trivilege  of  the  ti'ade  in  buffalo  skinn: 
and  we  call  on  the  Hieui*  de  Frontenac,  our  governor  ami 
lieutenant-general,  and  on  the  Hieur  de  Chesneau,t  intend- 
ant  of  justice,  police  j<n<l  tiinince,  and  on  the  officers  who 
eomitose  tlie  supreme  council  in  tiie  said  country,  to  afKx 


*Tliu()tta\va8. 

tJiiniui'H  de  CheeiU'au  hud  been  appointed  InU'iidant  of  New 
France  in  May,  IH7r>.  He  waH  an  enemy  of  both  Frontenac  and  \.i 
Salle. 


First  Great  ExpediJon  to  the  West. 


88 


their  signatures  to  these  presents;  for  such   is  our  pleas- 
ure. 

"  Given  at  St.  Germain  en  Laye,  this  12th  of  May, 
1678,  and  of  our  reign  the  thirty-fifth. 

''By  the  King,  Louis."* 

"  Colbert." 

Inasmuch  as  no  pecuniary  aid  was  to  be  received  from 
the  government.  La  8alle  had  to  look  to  his  monopoly  of 
the  future  trade  in  Ijuitalo  skins  for  the  support  of  his  ex- 
pensive enter[>rise.  Meantime,  his  relatives  were  induced  to 
Muike  him  further  advances  of  money,  and  some  of  them 
iKicame  shareholders  in  tlie  venture.  He  also  found  a  use- 
ful ally  in  La  Motte  de  Lussiere,  who  became  a  partner 
in  the  company,  and  who  joined  him  on  the  eve  of  liis  em- 
barkation for  Canada.  La  Salle  sailed  from  Uochelle  on 
his  return  the  14th  of  -'uly,  1678,  bringing  with  him  about 
thirty  men,  besides  an  ample  supply  of  stores,  implements 
for  building  vessels,  et';.  After  a  two  months  sea  voyage, 
he  reached  Quebec,  and  theijce  proceeded  up  the  St.  Law- 
rence to  his  seigniory  <>f  Frontenac.  His  new  enterprise 
aroused  jealousy  and  o[)position  from  the  start,  among  the 
old  Canadian  traders ;  but  our  resolute  Nonnan  was  ac- 
custoiued  to  grapple  with  obstacles  and  opposition,  and  he 
energetically  proceeded  to  organiz.e  Ids  expedition.  Having 
laid  aside  as  impracticable  his  scheme  of  a  western  passage 
to  ('hina  and  Japan,  and  convinced  that  the  Mississippi 
emptied  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  he  had  substituted  a 
vast  plan,  which  sliould  eventually  plant  on  the  shores  of 
the  Gulf  the  mitional  colors  of  Fratice,  and  open  to  her  the 
wliole  interior  of  this  continent. 

Of  the  men  whose  services  Lc  Salle  bad  seeured  in 
France,  and  wlio  were  destined  to  win  honor  with  him 
in  his  great  explorations,  the  most  useful  ami  trusted 
was  Hruiry  de  Tonty,t  or  Tonti,  as  it  is  written  in  Italian, 
lie  was  a  native  of  the  Neapolitan  town  of  (4aeta,  Italy, 
whore  he  first  saw  the  light   about  the  year   1650.     !lis 


*'  Frontenac'H  Higiuitiuv  wan  atftxed  to  this  patent  November  5, 1(}78. 
t  Tonty  hud  \wvn  a  pfnlri/  of  the  Prince  de  (Jonti,  by  whom  he  wt»8 
recoinmendetl  to  La  Halle.  .     ; 


84 


La  Salle  and  His  Early  Explorations. 


11 


father,  Lorenzo  di  Tonti,  was  sometime  governor  of  Gaeta, 
but  fled  to  France  to  escape  tlie  political  disturbances  of  his 
own  country.  lie  was  an  ingenious  linancier,  and  the  in- 
ventor of  the  Tontine  system  of  annuities,  which  he  intro- 
duced into  France  during  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeentli 
century.  Henry  de  Tonty  entered  the  Frentih  military 
service  in  1668,  and  served  as  a  cadet  two  years.  He  next 
served  four  years  as  a  midshipman,  at  Marseilles  and 
Toulon,  and  made  seven  caujpaigns,  four  in  ships  and 
three  in  galleys.  While  at  Messina,  Sicily,  he  was  made 
lieutenant  and  then  captain  of  the  iirst  company  of  a  regi- 
ment of  horse.  In  assisting  to  repel  an  attack  of  the 
enemy  on  the  post  of  Libisso,  his  right  hand  was  shot  oil 
by  a  grenade,  and  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  detained  for 
six  months,  after  which  he  was  exchanged.  He  then  re- 
paired to  France  to  obtain  some  favor  of  the  king,  who 
gave  him  three  hundred  livers.  Returiiing  to  Sicily,  he 
made  a  camitaign  as  a  volunteer  in  the  galleys ;  and  when 
the  troops  were  discharged,  being  umible  to  obtain  employ- 
ment on  account  of  the  general  peace,  he  enlisted  under 
La  Salle,  in  his  expeditions  of  discovery. 

Notwithstanding  the  loss  of  his  right  hand  (which, 
however,  was  replaced  by  one  of  iron  or  copper),  and  a 
constitution  a^tpiU'ently  feeble,  his  indomitable  energy  made 
him  the  superior  of  most  men  in  physical  endurance.  His 
experience,  too,  as  a  soldier,  and  his  luitural  intrej)idity,well 
fitted  him  for  the  life  of  a  military  explorer.  Moreover, 
his  Hdelity  was  such  that  neither  the  frowns  of  adversity, 
nor  the  intrigues  of  secret  or  open  enemies,  could  ever 
swerve  him  from  the  interest  of  his  patron  and  employer. 
The  Sieur  La  Motte,  before  mimed,  was  also  a  man  of  enter- 
prise and  integrity  of  character,  but  not  so  efficient  or  valua- 
ble an  assistant  to  La  Salle  as  the  little  veteran  De  Tonty. 

The  spiritual  directors,  wlio  were  selected  by  the  chief 
for  this  memorable  expedition,  were  expected  to  officiate  as 
chaplains  and  missionaries  at  such  forts  and  trading  })0HtH 
as  might  be  established.  Following  are  their  names: 
Father  Louis  Hennepin,  the  first  in  respect  to  ability  and 
enterprise;  (iabriel  de  la  Ribourde,  venerable  for  his  years, 
and  his  long  and  unselfish  clerical  labors ;  the  amiable  and 


His  First  Grcnf  Expedition  to  the  West. 


85 


devoted  Zenobious  Menibre ;  and  the  pious  Melithon  Wat- 
teiiu,  who  was  stationed  at  Niagara  and  made  it  his  mission. 
All  of  these  were  Flemings,  or  natives  of  Flanders,  and  all 
were  Recollet  friars,  of  the  mendicant  order  of  St.  Francis. 
It  would  doubtless  have  been  more  conducive  to  La  Salle's 
interest  if  this  had  been  otherwi^^o,  since  the  Jesuits  already 
occupied  the  upper  lake  region,  and  had  planted  some  mis- 
sions in  the  northern  i>art  of  the  country  of  th^^  Illinois. 
Under  such  circuiustances,  they  were  naturally  jealous  of 
any  infringement  upon  their  assumed  territorial  jurisdiction 
by  members  of  another  branch  of  tlie  motlier  cliurch,  and 
were  inclined  to  throw  obstacles  in  tlie  way  of  the  latter. 

Soon  after  his  returii  from  France  to  Fort  Frontenac, 
La  Salle  dispatched  fifteen  men  with  merchandise  to  Mack- 
inac and  Lake  Michigan,  to  barter  for  furs,  and  instructed 
them,  after  executing  tlieir  commission,  to  repair  to  Green 
Bay,  on  the  border  of  the  Illinois,  and  there  await  his  ar- 
rival. The  first  important  step  in  his  westward  progress,  one 
which  had  been  long  contemplated,  was  to  establish  a  fort 
or  hiock-li«)Uje  at  the  outlet  of  the  Niagara  channel.  For 
this  purpose,  on  November  18,  1678,  La  Motte  and  Henne- 
pin emi)arked,  vv^tli  fifteen  men,  in  one  of  the  briganthies 
that  lay  at  the  landing  of  the  fort,  and  started  up  Lake  On- 
tario. Being  retarded  in  their  passage  by  rough  weather,  it 
was  not  until  the  Hth  of  December  that  they  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  Niagara.  Here,  after  several  weeks,  they  were 
joined  by  La  Salle  and  Tonty,  who  had  been  detained  in 
[irocuring  the  necessary  supplies.  They,  too,  encoun- 
tered adverse  winds  on  the  way,  and  the  pilot  to  whom  La 
Halle  had  intrusted  one  of  his  boats  disregarded  his  instruc- 
tions, and  suffered  her  to  be  wrecked.  The  crew  managed 
to  escape,  but  the  cargo  was  lost,  excepting  the  ropes  and 
anchors  intended  for  use  in  constructing  the  new  vessel. 

The  appearance  of  the  F|«onch  upon  the  lake  excited 
the  suspicions  of  the  Seneca  Indians,  who  iniiabited  its 
southern  sliores,  an<l  when  it  was  proposed  to  erect  a  fort 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  ridge,*  on  the  east  side  of  the 

*  The  blook-houso,   which    T.ii  Sallt»  afterward   built  where   Fort 
Niagara  uow  staude,  was  called  Kort  Coiiti. 


86 


La  ISallc  and  His  Early  Explorations. 


river,  they  made  objection.  In  order  to  gain  their  consent. 
La  Motte  and  La  iSalle  ))oth  visited,  in  turn,  the  principal 
village  of  tlie  Seneca's  situated  near  the  site  of  the  i)re8ent 
Rochester,  New  York,  and  distributed  presents  freely 
among  their  chiefs.  Some  diplomacy  was  also  used  Ijy  La 
Salle,  and  in  liou  of  a  fort,  it  was  tinally  agreed  that  the 
Frenc]imcn  iniglit  erect  a  warehouse.  This  was  now  r.peedily 
completed  and  inclosed  with  a  palisade.  If  was  used  as  an 
abode  by  the  men  during  the  rest  of  that  wintev,  and,  sub- 
sequently, as  a  station  and  place  of  deposit  for  imi>lenients 
and  merchandise. 

Tlie  energies  of  La  Salle  were  next  dinscted  to  the  con- 
struction of  a  sailing  vessel,  with  which  to  navigate  the  up- 
per great  lakes.  The  spot  chosen  for  this  important  experi- 
ment was  at  or  near  the  mouth  of  Cayuga  Creek,*  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  Niagara,  and  some  five  miles  above  the 
Fallis.  This  difficult  and  tedious  work  (made  doubly  so  by 
their  want  of  proper  facilities)  was  formally  begun  on  the 
22(1  of  January,  1079,  and  was  prosecuted  under  the  per- 
sonal supervision  of  the  Sieur  de  Tonty,  whose  knowledge 
of  marine  architecture  was  thus  brought  into  active  requisi- 
tion. The  Senecas,  it  is  averred,  tried  to  burn  the  vessel 
while  on  the  stocks,  but  she  was  launched  by  the  middle  o\ 
July,  and  was  then  towed  farther  up  the  river  to  be  rigged. 
The  builders  celci)rated  her  completion  l>y  tiring  cannon  and 
singing  songs  in  commemoration  of  the  event.  And  well 
they  might  felicitate  themselves  upon  their  achievement; 
for  she  was  the  first  sail-rigged  and  sea-going  craft  that 
ever  spread  canvas  to  the  breeze  on  our  inland  seas.  Tiie 
little  schooner  was  armed  with  five  small  cnnnon  and  three 
large  muskets,  and  on  lier  prow  was  carved  the  wooden 
figure  of  a  griflin,t  from  which,  in  eom[)liment  to  the  ar- 
morial bearings  of  Count  de  Frontenac,  she  I'eceived  her 


*Ah  usiuil  in  Kuril  chror,  the  place  of  tho  buildinj^  of  the  "(iriflin" 
is  disputed.     Some  conUiiid  for  a  eito  known  as  tin-  "Old  Ship-yard, 
on  the  Little  Niaj?arn. 

tOr  griffon,  accordinj?  to  the  French  orthography.  Tlic  veBsel  was 
of  sixty  tons  burden,  and  wuh  cHtiniated  l)y  Henne;)in  to  have  coet  sixty 
thounaiid  livres,  or  about  $1'J,()0();  but  thiH  in('lude<l  a  ciirt'o  of  furs. 


His  Voijage  '»  the  Griffin. 


87 


name.  Every  thing'  was  now  ;n  readiness  awaiting  the  re- 
turn of  the  commander,  who  had  gone  to  Fort  Frontenac  to 
i'ei)lenish  liis  stores,  and  was  detained  there  by  pecuniary 
(litficulties.  He  arrived  in  the  l)eginnins:  of  August,  ac- 
companied by  Friars  Kibourde  and  Membre,  who  were 
going  to  distribute  tlie  "■  bread  of  life '"  among  the  pagan 
tribes  of  the  southwest. 

At  length,  on  the  7th  of  August,  U)79,  with  the  dis- 
charge of  small  artillery,  and  the  chanting  of  the  Te  Veurn, 
La  Salle  and  his  venturesome  followers  stepped  aboard  the 
new  vessel,  which  was  wafted  by  a  gentle  wind  out  upon 
the  crystal  surface  of  Lake  Erie.  Thus  the  Grithn,  flying 
from  her  mast-head  the  [)ennon  of  France,  went  forth  as  a 
herald  of  civilization,  and  as  tlie  forerunner  of  that  un- 
counted multituvle  of  schooners,  brigs,  barks,  propellers, 
and  other  smaller  ci'aft,  which  to-day  ]>Iy  the  givat  lakes  in 
every  direction,  in  the  peaceful  and  gainful  pursuits  of  i-om- 
nierce.  .After  a  pleasant  navigation  <^f  five  (hiys,  the  voy- 
agers entered  the  noble  channel  of  the  Detroit,  an<l  found 
its  forest-studded  banks  tilled  with  different  species  of  snndl 
game,  of  which  they  shot  and  killed  enough  for  their  needs. 
Ascending  thence  through  J^ake  ^t.  Clair  and  the  connect- 
ing strait,  they  issued  u[)on  the  sea-like  expanse  of  Lake 
Unroll,  and  in  sailing  over  its  dark  and  treaclierous  depths 
encountered  a  territic  storm,  which  threatened  to  s)>eedily 
engulf  (heir  little  bark,  with  j'll  onltoard.  In  this  extremity 
i)f  peril.  La  Salle  and  the  friars  fell  upon  their  knees  to  say 
their  ]irayers,  and  invoke<l  the  aid  of  St.  x\nthony  of  J'adua, 
as  the  patron  saint  of  tlieir  cxiK'dition.  It  would  seem  tliat 
the  saint  heard  and  answered  tlieir  ]»rayers ;  for  the  Grithn 
weathered  the  gale,  and,  on  the  next  day,  rode  unscathed 
into  the  Straits  of  Michilinuickinac. 

A])proaching  the  roadstead  at  the  mission  of  Saint  Ig- 
naee,  they  tired  an  artillery  salute  to  announce  their  ar- 
rival, and,  inmiediately  after  landing,  repaired  to  the  mis- 
sion chapel  to  return  thanks  to  (lod  for  their  receipt  deliv- 
erance from  the  fury  of  the  ekunents.  On  this  occasion 
\m  Salle  wore  a  scarlet  coat,  trimmed  witli  gold  lace,  which 


88 


La  Salle  and  His  Early  Explorations. 


he  kept  by  him  tor  occasions  of  ceremony.  lie  wan  re- 
ceived here  by  tlic  JcHuit  priests  and  traders  with  an  out- 
ward show  of  respect  and  friendsliip,  though  they  were 
privately  antagonizing  his  enterprise.  The  neighboring  In- 
dians now  swarmed  in  canoes  about  liis  armed  vessel,  view- 
ing her  with  mingled  feelings  of  wonder  and  terror. 
"While  ancliored  at  this  station,  the  commamier  found  and 
took  into  custody  four  of  his  men,  whom  he  had  sent  up 
the  lakes  with  merchandise  to  exchange  for  pelts ;  they 
having  disposed  of  the  goods  and  pocketed  the  proceeds. 
At  the  same  time  he  sent  Tonty  to  Sault  de  8te.  M  ie  in 
pursuit  of  others,  who  were  also  caught. 

Weighing  anchor  about  the  2d  of  Septendjer,  La  Salle 
cc  ntinued  his  westward  voyage,  and  next  arrived  at  one  of 
the  islands  in  the  entrance  to  Green  Bay,  jutting  out  from 
Lake  Micliigan.  Landing  on  the  island,  he  was  liospitably 
received  by  a  Pottawatomie  chief,  who  had  visited  in  Canada, 
and  here  he  was  also  met  by  the  remainder  of  his  advance 
traders,  who  had  honestly  dis{)osed  of  his  goods  and  collected 
in  return  a  large  (piantity  of  furs.  These  were  now  conveyed 
on  board  the  Griffin,  and,  with  other  [>elts  procured  during 
hei"  outward  passage,  were  to  be  carried  to  Niagara  for  the 
benefit  of  his  creditors.  This  transaction  was  in  violation 
of  the  letter  and  spirit  of  La  Salle's  royal  patent ;  but  IiIh 
pecuniary  necessities  were  sucli  at  the  time  as  to  justity  or 
excuse  a  liberal  interpretation  of  the  terms  of  that  instru- 
ment. The  pilot  and  five  sailors,  to  whom  he  committed 
the  charge  of  the  Griffin,  were  instructed,  after  they  had 
landed  her  valuable  cargo,  to  return  with  t'le  vessel  to  the 
southeastern  part  of  Lake  Michigan.  The  Griffin  set  sail 
from  Green  Bay  on  the  18th  of  September,  but  was  never 
afterward  heard  of.  It  would  have  been  better  for  the 
doomed  vessel  if  she  had  never  sailed  on  this  return  trip, 
and  better  still,  perhaps,  if  La  Salle  had  continued  his  own 
voyage  in  her  to  the  head  of  the  lake. 

On  the  next  day  (the  19th),  he  embarked  witli  his  re- 
maining men,  fourteen  in  lunnber,  in  four  canoes,  for  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Miamis,  afterward  known  as  the   St. 


His  Firsi  Great  Expedition  to  the  West. 


89 


Joseph.*  Tlio  canoes  were  heavily  laden  with  a  forge,  im- 
plements, arms,  etc.,  and  their  progress  w^as  retarded  hy 
tempestuous  weather.  After  a  perilous  passage  along  the 
western  and  southern  shores  of  the  lake,  in  the  course  of 
which  the  voyagers  suffered  keenl}'  from  hanger  and  ex- 
posure, they  reached  their  destination  ahout  the  first  of 
November.  Here  the}'  were  disappointed  at  not  finding 
the  Sieur  de  Tonty,  who  had  started  from  Michilimackinac 
with  a  party  of  twenty  men,  and  was  slowly  making  his 
way  up  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake ;  but  he  did  not  arrive 
until  twenty  days  later.  In  the  interval  of  waiting.  La 
Salle,  to  keep  his  men  from  idleness,  employed  them  in 
building  a  wooden  fort,  eighty  feet  long  and  forty  wide, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  river.  It  was  completed  by  the  end 
of  November,  aiul  was  named  Fort  Miami,  after  a  neigh- 
boring tribe  of  Indians.  Ample  tinu'  bad  now  elapsed  for 
the  return  of  the  Griffin,  and  La  iSalle,  being  much  troubled 
at  her  non-arrival,  sent  two  men  down  the  lake  to  look  for 
the  vessel,  and  pilot  her  to  the  entrance  of  the  St.  Joseph. 
Different  opinions  were  entertained  respecting  the  fate  of 
the  Griffin.  Hennepin  l)elievt'd  that  she  foundered  in  a 
storm  in  the  nortb  part  of  Lake  Michigjm,  which  is  (piite 
probable;  others  thougbt  tiiat  tl..  '"dians  might  have 
boarded  and  burnt  her;  wbilc  \m  Salle  himself  long  cher- 
ished the  notion  that  her  pilot  and  crew,  after  disj)Osing  of 
her  valuable  cargo,  sunk  her,  and  then  ran  away  with  tli'.?ir 
ill-gotten  gains.  Unfortunately,  the  loss  of  tliis  much- 
prized  vessel  was  irreparable,  and  it  proved  a  serious  blow 
to  the  success  of  his  exjiedition. 

But,  without  longer  delay,  on  I)ecend)er  8,  1079,  the 
reunited  party,  numbering  some  thirty-three  persons,  with 
eight  canoes,  began  the  ascent  of  the  St.  -Joseph's  liiver, 
en  route  to  the  Illinois.  It  was  a  miscellaiuM>us  and  rather 
pictures([ue  company,  comprising  soldiers,  friars,  artisans, 

*At  the  mouth  of  tliis  river,  several  years  before,  the  Jesuit  Fiither 
A llouez  had  collected  some  scatti-red  bands  of  the  Ilnrons  and  others, 
and  established  a  missionary  staticm,  thereby  making  it  a  point  known 
to  these  adventurers,  and  one  which,  knowinjt,  they  would  endeavor  to 
reach.    See  Breese's  Early  Hist,  of  111.,  p.  HMi. 


90 


La  Salle  and  His  Early  Explorations. 


laborers,  coareurs  des  bois,  and  a  few  Indians.  After  a 
fatiguing  journey  southward  of  twenty-five  leagues,  in 
which  they  had  often  to  drag  their  canoes  against  the  shal- 
low current  of  the  river,  they  neared  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent city  of  South  Bend,  Ind.  Thence  a  portage  was  made 
of  two  or  three  miles  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Te-a-ki-ki 
(Kankakee),  which  they  reached  with  the  assistance  of  a 
Mohegan  Indian,  whom  La  Salle  had  employed  in  the 
double  capacity  of  guide  and  liunter  for  the  expedition. 
I'he  winter  had  now  fidly  set  in,  the  earth  being  thickly 
mantled  with  snow,  and  as  the  adventurers  paddled  their 
weary  way  down  the  narrow,  torturous  stream,  flowing 
through  reedy  and  frozen  marshes,  the  whole  landscape 
presented  a  most  cheerless  aspect.  To  increase  their  mis- 
ery, they  were  distressed  by  the  pangs  of  hunger  until  re- 
lieved by  the  fortunate  capture  of  a  large  buffalo,  which 
was  found  struggling  in  the  mire  of  tlie  river,  and  was  soon 
slaughtered.  Being  thus  regaiod,  they  resumed  their  canoes 
and  reached  without  accident  the  junction  of  the  Kankakee 
and  the  Des  Plaines,  which  unite  to  form  the  Illinois  liiver. 
Gliding  rapidly  down  the  channel  of  the  latter,  the 
voypgers  shortly  entered  a  region  of  bolder  and  more  strik- 
ing scenery.  On  the  right  they  passed  the  elevation  called 
Buffalo  Hock,  standing  out  like  an  island  in  the  valley,  and 
farther  down,  on  their  left,  appeared  the  tall  cliff,  since 
known  as  Starved  Rock.  A  mile  or  more  below  it,  on  the 
nortli  bank  of  the  here  expanded  river  (named  by  Henne- 
pin the  Illinois  Lake),  stood  the  principal  town  of  the  Illi- 
nois nation,  in  which  were  counted  four  hundred  and  sixty 
lodges.  These  were  made  in  the  shape  of  long  arbors,  with 
a  frame-work  of  posts  and  poles,  and  covered  with  double 
mats  ot  flat  flags,  so  well  sewed  together  that  they  were 
impervious  to  fain  or  s!iow.  Each  lodge  had  four  or  five 
fires,  and  each  fire  served  one  or  two  families.  It  was  here, 
about  tlie  25th  of  December,  that  La  Salle  and  his  hungry 
followers  landed,  in  order  to  procure  some  maize,  of  which 
they  stood  sorely  in  need ;  but,  as  had  been  foreseen,  they 
found  the  village  deserted  sind  silent,  its  inhabitants  being 
away  on  their  usual  winter  hunt.    Some  of  the  Frenchmen, 


He  Arrices  at  Peoria  Lake. 


91 


hov  3ver,  discovered  a  supply  of  the  desired  grain  stored  in 
[lits.  and  of  it  they  took  enough  to  supply  their  wants,  in- 
tending to  pay  for  the  same  when  tiie  owners  should  be 
met.  After  resting  and  refreshing  themselves  for  a  short 
time,  tbey  re-embarked  and  continued  thei»'  course. 

On  New  Year's  day,  1680,  the  V(»yagers  again  landed 
to  hear  mass,  which  was  solemnized  by  the  friars,  and  the 
exercises  were  closed  by  Ilenne})in  with  an  encouraging 
address  to  the  men.  Two  days  afterward,  Ihey  entered 
that  irregular  fxpansion  of  the  Illinois  River  (from  seven  to 
eight  leagues  in  length)  called  Lac  l^imiteoui,  or  Lake  Peo- 
ria, meaning  "•the  place  of  fat  beasts."  Moving  on  cau- 
tiously toward  th;*  south  end  of  the  lake,  where  the  river 
resumes  its  ordinnry  width,  they  perceived  smoke  rising 
above  the  bare  tree  tops,  denoting  the  presence  of  Indians, 
and  on  turning  a  sharp  bend  saw,  on  both  sides  of  the 
stream,  a  number  of  })i rogues,  and  about  eighty  cabins 
tilled  with  peo]>le.  This  was  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth 
day  after  leaving  the  great  village.*  Having  some  reason 
to  suspect  an  uncivil  reception  from  the  savages.  La  Salle 
now  formed  his  small  flotilla  into  a  line  across  the  river,  so 
as  to  present  us  formidable  an  array  as  possible.  As  they 
thus  swei>t  d.own  the  stream  to  the  village,  some  of  the  dis- 
mayed natives  took  to  flight,  and  others  seized  their  arms 
to  make  resistance;  but,  in  the  midst  of  their  confusion, 
our  little  band  of  Frenchmen  sprang  ashore,  armed  and 
equipped  for  action.  Awed  by  the  bold  and  martial  bear- 
ing of  the  latter,  the  Indians  dei»uted  two  of  their  chiefs 
to  present  the  peace  calumet,  which  La  Salle  promptly 
recognized  by  showing  one  in  turn,  and  thereupon  a 
friendly  intercourse  was  opened  between  them.  This  was 
succeeded  by  a  feast,  at  which  the  more  obsequious  of  the 
savages  rubbed  the  uncovered  feet  of  the  friars  with  bear's 
oil,  while  others  fed  their  guests  with  ])uflalo  meat,  ])utting 
the  first  three  morsels  into  their  mouths  with  much  cere- 
mony, as  a  mark  of  great  civility. 

When  the  feast  was  ended,  M.  de  la  Salle  informed 

*  See   Hennepin's   I)e»cni>ti()n   ih'  In   LouhUtne ;    Shea'K   translation 
(N.Y.,  1880),  p.  1.%. 


'm 


92 


La  Salle  and  His  Early  Explorations. 


Nicauope,  and  the  other  j»riiicipal  iiieti  of  the  tribe,  that  in 
descending  the  river  he  had  stopped  at  their  great  town, 
and  had  taken  some  corn  from  their  pits  to  supply  the 
lecessities  of  his  men,  but  tliat  lie  was  prepared  to  make 
tliem  full  compensation,  lie  then  proceeded  to  explain  the 
purpose  of  his  visit,  saying,  in  substance,  that  he  had  come 
to  raise  a  fort  in  their  neighborhood  to  protect  them  from 
the  incursions  of  the  Iroquois,  and  also  to  build  a  large 
canoe,  in  which  to  descend  the  "great  river"  to  the  sea  and 
thence  bring  back  goods  to  exchange  for  their  peltry.  lie 
further  told  them  that  if  his  plans  did  not  meet  with  their 
ai»})roval,  he  would  pass  on  to  the  Osages  and  Missouris, 
and  give  them  the  benefit  of  his  trade  and  protection. 
These  Peoria  Indians  readily  assented  to  what  he  said 
al)out  his  plans  and  purposes,  and  were  profuse  in  their 
expressions  of  friendship  and  good  v/ill.  Yet,  despite  all 
this,  it  soon  bee  ane  apparent  to  La  Salle  that  s<^cret  ene- 
mies were  striving  to  thwait  his  en^'erprise,  and  that  the 
minds  of  the  savages  had  been  [>rejudiced  against  him  in 
advance. 

A  few  days  afterward  there  arrived  at  this  village  a 
Mascoutin  chief  named  Monso,  or  Monsocla,  who  came 
equipped  with  presents  and  accompanied  by  several  Miamis 
braves,  and  ^vho  held  nightly  conclaves  with  the  iiead  men 
of  the  nllage.  He  professed  to  have  been  sent  to  warn  the 
Illinois  against  the  designs  of  La  Salle,  of  whom  he  spoke 
as  an  intriguer  and  friend  of  the  Iroquois,  and  that  he  had 
come  among  the  Illinois  only  to  open  the  way  to  their  ene- 
mies, who  were  coming  on  all  sides  to  destroy  them.* 
Having  thus  re-aroused  the  distrust  of  the  tickle-minded 
Peorias,  the  crafty  chief  and  his  party  hastened  away  un- 
der the  cover  of  night.  In  the  altered  and  reserved  de- 
meanor of  the  natives,  La  Salle  now  met  a  fresh  difficulty, 
which  taxed  all  his  address  and  knowledge  of  the  Indian 
character  to  overcome.  It  was  not  without  reason  that  he 
attributed  the  meddlesome  visit  of  the  Mascoutin  chief  to 
the  machinations  of  the  Jesuit  Father  AUouez,  whose  prin- 


*  Membre's  Narrative  in  Le  Clercq. 


Ba'ddlng  of  Fort  Creve-cccur. 


93 


cipal  station  was  aiiiong  the  Miamis,  Ijut  wlio  liad  been  at 
the  fi^reat  town  of  the  Illinois  only  a  few  months  before. 

To  add  to  the  eoniniander's  vexations,  Honie  of  liis  own 
men,  who  had  been  discontented  from  the  start,  now  i)e- 
oanie  snllen  and  mntinous,  and  endeavored  to  stir  np  disaf- 
fection among  the  better  disjiosed.  Not  succeeding  iti  this 
to  th'-ir  satisfaction,  they  held  private  interviews  witli  the 
Illinois  to  excite  their  ill-will  against  La  iSalle.  As  a  last 
resort,  the  malcontents  sought  his  life  by  secretly  putting 
poison  in  his  food.  The  effect  of  the  |)oison,  however,  was 
neutralized  by  the  timely  taking  of  an  antidote,  and  no  ill- 
results  followed.  This  was  an  age  of  poisoning,  the  prac- 
tice having  been  introduced  into  France  from  Italy  ;  and  it 
appears  that  a  similar  atteiiijit  had  been  nuide  against  the 
life  of  La  Salle,  not  very  long  before,  at  Fort  Fn )ntenac. 
Shortlv  after  the  departure  of  the  Mascoutin  chief,  six  of 
the  Frencb.men,  including  some  of  the  best  workmen,  l)asely 
deserted  their  emjdoyer,  and  set  oft"  on  their  return  to  Can- 
ada. To  this  dastardly  course  they  were  partly  inHuenced 
by  previous  disatt'ection,  and  partly  by  the  dangers  of  the 
expedition,  which  had  been  artfully  magniiied  to  their 
minds  by  the  Indians.  In  order  to  stay  further  desertions, 
La  S^Ue  called  the  remaining  men  together,  and  told  them 
that  ne  did  not  intend  to  take  with  him  any  but  those  who 
would  go  willingly,  and  tliat  he  would  leave  the  others  at 
liberty  in  the  spring  to  return  to  Canada,  whither  tliey 
might  go  without  risk  and  by  canoe ;  whereas,  they  could 
not  then  undertake  it  but  with  evident  peril  to  their  lives.* 

It  was  now  mid-wintei-,  and  the  commander,  wearied 
with  his  accumulating  difHculties,  and  finding  it  impractica- 
ble to  proceed  farther  to  the  south,  resolved  to  erect  a  fort, 
which  might  attortl  shelter  and  security  to  his  company 
until  the  opening  of  spring.  The  site  chosen  for  this  first 
European  fortification  in  Illinois  was  a  moderate  sized  hill, 
or  termination  of  a  ridge,  on  tlie  eastern  side  of  the  river 
(as  shown  by  Franquelin's,  and  Hennepin's  old  maps),  and 
about  half  a  league  below  the  outlet  of  the  lake  where  the 


*  Hennepin's  "Description  of  Louisiana,"  p.  173. 


94 


La  Salle  and  His  Early  Explorations. 


explorers  had  tirst  hiiided.  The  pjecise  location  of  the 
fort,  of  which  not  a  vestige  remains,  is  clouded  with  doubt 
and  controversy.  Some  would  fix  it  at  the  village  of  Wes- 
ley City,  four  miles  below  the  present  city  of  Peoria;  v. bile 
others,  with  rather  more  show  of  reason,  contend  for  a  site 
higher  up  the  river,  and  over  against  vhe  northern  suburbs 
of  Peoria.  Interest  in  the  subject  has  revived  from  time 
to  time,  and  tlie  relative  claims  of  these  two  dilibrent  sites 
were  elaborately'  discussed  through  the  Peoria  press  in  Jan- 
uary, 1890.* 

T^a  Salle's  men  worked  with  a  "good  grace"  on  the 
fort,  and  by  the  first  of  the  ensuing  March,  1680,  it  was 
nearly  finished,  and  was  occupied.  It  now  received  tlie 
significant  name  of  Creve-coeur,  or  Heart  Break ;  not,  as 
has  been  often  stated  (on  the  authority  of  a  passage  in 
Hennepin's  "New  Discovery  "),  because  of  the  commander's 
dejection  at  the  desertion  of  his  men  and  his  increasing 
difficulties,  but  after  tlie  fortress  of  Creve-c^cur  in  Brabant 
of  the  Netherlands,  whicli  Imd  lecently  been  taken  by 
the  Frencli  arms  and  demolished.  Sucl.,  more  ihan  two 
hundred  and  thirteen  years  ago,  was  the  primal  military 
occupation  of  Illinois  by  the  Frencli,  though  no  continuous 
white  settlement  was  established  at  Peoria  Lake  until  nearly 
or  quite  a  century  l-.ter.+ 


*  In  La  Salle's  day,  wlinn  tUe  river  carried  a  somewhat  larger  vol- 
ume of  water  than  at  prcHent,  liake  IMmiteou,  is  described  by  him  as 
consisting  of  "three  small  lakes,  which  intercommunicated  with  each 
other  by  so  many  straits."  (See  part  of  a  letter  by  I.a  Salle  'U  vol.  2  of 
Pierre  Margry's  t'oUection).  The  chief  dilHcnlty  now  is  to  determine 
whether  the  explorer  lande<l  and  encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  second,  or 
of  the  third  and  lower  sheet  of  water.  .Xs  partly  conlirming  La  Salle, 
it  may  be  as  wi'll  to  note  what  AL  J(>ntel  says  in  his  journal  about  this 
chain  of  lakes.  In  describing  the  passage  of  liis  i)arty  up  llu'  IJlinoi.- 
River,  iu  1()87,  he  writes:  "The  9th  (September),  we  came  into  a  lake 
ab<tut  half  a  league  over,  «'ii(h  we  crossed  and  returned  into  the  chan- 
nel of  the  river,  oii  tiie  banks  whereof  we  found  several  marks  of  the  na- 
tives having  bei-n  encamix'd.  The  10th,  we  crossed  another  lake  called 
rinutehouy,  and  returned  to  the  river.'"— ./w»r»a/  IliMoritjUc. 

t  For  a  more  circu.nstantial  account  of  the  l)uiitliiig  of  Fort  Creve- 
eoMir,  see  extracts  from  Hennepin's  writing.s  in  the  next  succeedin)^ 
cliupter. 


^  '. 


He  Begins  a  New  Vessel. 


95 


While  the  fort  was  building,  La  Salle  put  his  best 
mechanics  to  work  on  a  brigantine,  which,  when  built,  he 
proposed  to  freight  with  buffalo  and  other  skins,  to  be  col- 
lected in  his  descent  of  the  Mississippi,  and  thence  sail  to 
St.  Domingo  or  France,  and  dispose  of  the  cargo.  The 
keel  of  the  new  boat  was  laid,  forty-two  feet  in  length 
by  twelv'e  in  breadth,  and  work  on  her  hull  was  well 
advanced  by  the  end  of  February.  Being  without  rig- 
ging or  sails  for  his  vessel  (they  naving  been  unluckily 
lost  with  the  Griffin),  the  indomitable  leader  now  formed 
the  bold  design  of  returning  over-land  to  Foi-t  Frontenac, 
to  procure  these  and  other  appliances,  leaving  De  Tonty  in 
command  at  Creve-cteur,  while  Hennepin  should  meantime 
go  up  the  Mississippi  on  a  voyage  of  exploration, — La  Salle 
promising  to  send  men  to  meet  him  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Wisonsin,  on  his  own  return  from  the  East. 


|- 


96 


Louis  Hennepin. 


CHAPTER   V 


1675-1701. 


FATHER    LOUIS    H?:NNKPIN. 


I 


The  name  of  Futlier  Hennepin  liaving  been  already 
introduced  in  coi  nection  witli  La  Sailed  history,  it  is 
deen)ed  proper  to  <levote  the  present  eliapter  to  a  delinea- 
tion of  his  shifting  and  ronuintie  career,  since  no  more 
picturesque  and  interesting  personage  is  to  be  found  in 
the  annals  of  French  exploration  and  discovery  in  North 
America. 

About  the  year  of  grace  1640,  in  the  ancient  town  of 
Ath,  in  the  interior  province  of  Ilainault,  and  in  what  was 
then  a  })art  of  the  Spanish  Netherlands,  but  is  now  a  part 
of  the  kingdom  of  Belgium,  was  born  the  celebrated  Louis 
Hennepin.  With  respect  to  his  early  domestic  life,  we  pos- 
sess no  delinite  information.  In  his  writings  he  tells  us 
much  about  himself,  but  very  little  concerning  his  family, 
from  which  it  nuiy  be  inferred  that  he  came  of  obscure 
}»arentage.  He  appears  to  have  been  sent  to  scliool  at  a 
tender  age,  and  he  quaintly  informs  us  that  while  prose- 
cuting his  early  studies,  "he  felt  a  strong  inclination  to 
leave  the  world  and  to  live  in  the  rule  of  strict  virtue." 
He  accordingly  entered  the  monastic  order  of  Saint  Fran- 
cis,* to  spend  his  days  in  a  life  of  religious  austerit3^  His 
novitiate  was  nnide  in  the  Recollet  convent  at  Bethune,  in 


■*Tlu>  FraiU'iHt'HiiH  wcn^  an.  ofMioot  of  tlie  old  Curmclite  friarH,  of 
Mount  Carinel,  raloHtinc.  The  order  was  (irsi  I'HtabliHlu'd  in  Kuropc  by 
St.  Krancis,  of  AHBisi.  Italy,  in  the  year  1209.  Through  an  excesH  of 
Inunility,  he  denominated  the  monks  of  his  order  "little  brethren,"  or 
"  friars  minor "-  a  name  by  vvbieli  they  are  still  distingnished.  They 
are  also  ealled  "gray  friars,"  from  the  rolor  of  their  dress.  "  It  was  a 
mendicant  order  (says  Breese's  Hist.  111.,  p.  102),  vowed  to  the  lowent 
poverty  and  the  severest  penance;  gray  coats  and  bar»(  feet  as  badges  of 
distinction,  and  an  ei\tire  devotion  t<»  \hv  i)recept,  '  preach  my  gospel  to 


His  Youthful  Rambles  in  Europe. 


97 


lu- 
lls 

In  I 


the  province  of  Artoie,  France,  and  his  master  of  Novices 
was  Father  Gabriel  de  la  liibourde,  a  man  eminent  in  the 
order  for  his  social  p(>sition  and  exemplary  life,  who  vean 
destined,  at  a  later  day,  to  die  for  the  Faith,  while  labor- 
ing as  a  missionary  among  the  savages  in  America. 

In  order  to  learn  Flemish,  young  IIennej)in  went  from 
Bethnne  to  Ghent,  where  a  married  sister  of  his  resided, 
and  where  he  stayed  some  time.     As  he  ai>proached  the 
age   of  manhood,  he    manifested  a  strong   propensity  to 
travel  in  foreign  parts,  which  occasioned   his  sister  much 
anxiety.     With  the  consent  of  tlie  general  of  Ids  order,  he 
first  set  oft"  to  see  Italy,  and  visited  the  pritudpal  Francis- 
can churches  and  convents  in  that  country,  as  also  in  Ger- 
many.    On  returning  home,  he  was  sent  to  the  convent  of 
Ihilles  in  Hainault,  where  he  discharged  the, duties  of  a 
preacher  for  a  year,  and  then   went  to  Artois.     He  was 
thence  sent  to  Calais,  and  afterward  to  the  convent  of  Biez 
at  Dunkirk,  in  both  of  which  pla''es  he  ai)pears  to  have 
been  employed  to  solicit  alms  for  the  fraternity.     During 
his  sojourn  at  those  seaport  towns,  the  strange  stories  he 
hoard  related  by  old  nuirinei's  stimulated  anew  his  cari- 
osity and  desire  to  visit  foreign  lands ;  and  with  a  view  to 
further  gratify  his.  taste  for  travel,  he  went  in  the  char- 
acter of  a  missioiuiry  to  the  principal   cities  of  Holland. 
Willie  sojourning  in  that  country,  on  August  11,  1(174,  he 
was  present,  as  an  assistant  chaplain,  at  the  obstinate  aiul 
bloody  battle  of  Senefto,   fought   between    the   I^rince   ot 
Orange   and   the   Prince    of  ('onde,  and    he   there   foutul 
abundant    occupation    in    relieving    and    (comforting    tli(> 
wouikIihI  and  dying  soldiers. 

At  about  this  tiitu*  Canada  again  becan\e  a  field  ot 
labor  for  the  llecollet  missiomiries  ;  and  Louis  XIV.,  yield- 
ing to  the  appeal  of  (Governor  Frontemic,  ordered  that  five 
Itecollet  religious  be  setit  to  Catuida,  to  reinforce  the  little 


tho  l»(uithen,'  marked  its  tiu'inbcMH.  Kvom  this  and  its  Itindrod  order, 
the  DoininicatiH,  Iuih  tlie  Koiuan  (Uuirclj  byen  Ruppliod  with  many 
|)opoH,  oardinah;,  bisliopB,  und  other  nototl  occiesiuHlics,  while  in  Haints 
tliey  have  been  most  wonderfully  fruitful." 


98 


Louis  Hmne/pin. 


I 


community  of  that  order  already  established  there.  Friar 
Hennepin  was  one  of  the  number  chosen  to  go  upon  thiH 
mission,  which  he  readily  undertook.  Receiving  the  re- 
quisite authority  from  his  superior,  he  repaired  to  the  sea- 
port of  La  liochelle,  and  there,  in  the  summer  of  1675, 
embarked  in  the  same  ship  with  Francois  de  Laval,  ai) 
eminent  prelate,  who  had  been  recently  appointed  Bishop 
of  Quebec.  Among  his  other  fellow  passengers  was  La 
Salle,  wdio  was  now  returning  from  France  to  Canada,  and 
with  wliose  fortunes  Hennepin  was  subsequently  to  become 
closely  identified;  but  for  whom,  at  their  first  meeting,  he 
seems  to  have  formed  no  admiration. 

After  a  somewhat  eventful  voy.age,  they  arrived  in  the 
month    of    September   at   Quebec,    where    Hennepin   Wiin 
shortly  appointed  priest  to  the  cloister  of  the  Hospital  Nuiih 
of  St.  Augustine.     As  the  duties  of  this  position  were  not 
onerous,  he  found  time  to  make  frequent  excursions  to  the 
neighboring  Frencih  and  Indian  settlements,  and  visited,  in 
turn,  the  Three  Rivers,  St.  Anne,  Cape  Tourmente,  Bourg 
Royal,  Point  de  Levi,  and  the  Isle  de  St.  Laurent.     Od 
tliese  trips  he  went  by  canoe  in  the  summer  season,  and  in 
the  winter  his  light  luggage  was  drawn  on  the  snow  ]>y  ii 
large  dog,  while  he  himself,  on  foot,  was  exposed  to  all  tlio 
fury  of  the  elements,  with  no  covering  save  his  cloak  and 
hood,  and  with  but  wavy  little  to  eat.     In  the  fall  of  167'', 
or  the  following  spring,  he  was  sent  with   h'at.her  Luke 
Buisset  to  Fort   Frontenac,  where   they  founded   a  small 
convent.     Soon  after  this,  Hennepin  made  a  journey  to  tlio 
Jesuit   missions  among  the  Mohawks,  and  others  of  tlio 
Five  Nations.     Extending  his  tour  to  Albany  (called  Fort 
Orange  by  the  early  Dutch  settlers),  he  was  well   received 
by  the  Catholic  residents,  who,  if  we  may  receive  his  own 
statement,  entreated  him  to  stay  there  and  become  their 
pi'iest. 

When  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  undertook  his  first  great 
expedition  to  the  West,  he  solicited  Father  Hennepin, 
among  other  of  the  Recollet  friars,  to  accomj^any  him  af 
a  chaplain  and  missionary.  The  restless  arid  irujuisitivc 
mind  of  Hennepin  was  fascirmted   by  the  very  dangers  ot 


Hcmiepn  at  Niagara  Falls. 


99 


so  bold  ail  adventure,  of  which  he  was  destined  to  become 
the  principal  chronicler.  Accordingly,  in  November,  1678, 
he  left  Fort  Frontenac  with  the  advance  party  of  the  ex- 
pedition under  La  Motte.  bailing  slowly  up  Lake  Ontario 
in  a  small  brigantine,  they  reached  the  outlet  of  the  Niagara 
River  on  the  6th  of  December,  and,  immediately  after  land- 
ing, chanted  a  Te  Deurn  in  gratitude  for  their  safe  arrival, 
which  was  listened  to  with  silent  wonder  by  a  group  of  the 
natives  from  a  neighboring  village.  Hennepin,  with  a  few 
companions,  then  went  in  a  canoe  up  the  river  seven  miles 
to  the  foot  of  the  high  bluff  or  escarpment  overlooking 
the  lake,  and,  climbing  the  rocky  heights  above  what  ia 
now  Lewiston,  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  great  double, 
cataract  of  Niagara,  "thundering  in  its  solitude."  We 
should  not  assume  that  the  friar  and  his  party  were  the, 
first  Europeans  to  look  upon  these  wonderful  falls,  since 
they  had  been  known  to  the  French  from  the  time  of 
Champlain ;  yet  he  is  popularly  credited  with  their  dis- 
covery, probably  from  the  circumstanee  that  he  wrote  and 
published  the  first  good  description  of  them,  barring  his, 
extravagant  estimate  of  their  height.*  Proceeding  with 
his  companions  along  the  bank  of  the  river  to  the  head  of 
the  rapids,  opposite  the  modern  Canadian  town  of  Chip- 
pewa, he  thence  returned  the  next  day,  and  was  tlie  first 


*In  his  "  Description  of  Louisiana "  ( lt)8;>i,  Heunepiu  writes:  "  The 
river  (Niagara)  plunges  down  a  height  of  more  than  Ave  hundred  feet,  and 
its  fall  is  oouiposed  of  two  sheets  of  water  and  a  caHcade,  with  an  island 
sloping  down  between."  In  his  "  New  Discovery,"  he  increases  the 
lit'ight  of  the  falls  to  six  hundred  feet,  and  La  Iloutan  fixes  it  at  abo'it 
the  same  figure.  Father  Charlevoix  (Travels  in  North  America,  pp.. 
lo2-3),  in  endeavoring  to  account  tor  tiu'si"  gross  exaggerations,  re- 
marks: "It  is  certain  that  if  we  nvuHure  its  heiglit  by  the  three 
ir.ountains  (or  ascents)  which  we  must  tirst  pass  over,  there  is  not  mucli 
to  bate  of  the  six  hundred  feet  which  the  map  of  M.  Delisle  gives  it; 
who,  without  doubt,  did  not  advance  this  paradox  but  on  the  credit  of 
the  Baron  de  la  Houtan  and  Father  Hennepin.  t!harlevoix'  own  meas- 
urement of  the  cataract  with  a  cord,  in  1721,  fell  short  of  t!ie  present 
altitude  of  the  American  Fall,  which  is  105  feet. 

In  1750,  seventy  years  after  the  timej)f  Hennepin,  the  (Ireat  Falla 
were  visiteil  and  carefully  described  by  Professor  Kalm,  the  eminent 
Swedish  traveler.         • 


100 


Louis  Hennepin. 


m. 


II, 


priest  to  offer  mass  at  the  Falls  of  Niagara.  He  then 
hegan  the  erection  of  a  bark  chapel  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  river,  near  the  Great  Rock,  where  the  Sieur  la  Motte 
and  his  men  were  building  a  fortified  house.  Shortly  after- 
ward he  ac('ompanied  La  Motte,  and  iive  other  Frenchmen 
on  a  journey  of  thirty  leagues  through  the  snow-incumbered 
forests  of  western  New  York  to  the  principal  village  of  the 
Seneca  nation,  to  negotiate  witli  the  sachems  for  permis- 
sion to  complete  the  house  or  fort  at  Niagara.  Describing 
the  elders  of  that  village,  Hennepin  graphically  says  :  "  They 
are  for  the  most  part  tall  and  well  shaped,  covered  with  a  sort 
of  robe  made  of  beavers'  and  wolves'  skins, or  black  squirrels, 
holding  a  pipe  or  calumet  in  their  hands.  The  senators  of 
Venice  do  not  appear  witli  a  graver  countenance,  and  per- 
haps do  not  speak  with  more  majesty  and  solidity  than 
those  ancient  Iroquois." 

After  the  completion  of  the  Griffin,  Hennepin  sailed 
in  her,  with  La  Salle  and  others,  through  Lakes  Erie,  St. 
Clair  and  Huron,  and  reached  Michilimackinac  on  the  26th 
of  August,  1769.  Continuing  his  voyage  in  that  vessel 
with  the  commander  to  Green  Bay,  and  thence  in  canoes 
up  Lake  Michigan  to  the  mouth  of  the  Miamis,  or  St. 
Joseph,  they  shortly  entered  the  country  of  the  Illinois. 
On  their  way  down  the  Illinois  River,  Hennepin  observed 
indications  of  stone-coal,  and  other  minerals,  in  the  upper 
valley  of  that  stream.  The  approach  of  the  explorers  to 
the  outlet  of  Lake  Pimitcoui,  he  tlius  narrates  : 

"  Toward  the  end  of  the  fourth  day,  while  crossing  a 
little  lake,  formed  by  the  river,  we  observed  smoke,  which 
showed  us  that  the  Indians  were  cabined  near  there.  In 
fact,  on  the  fifth,  about  nine  in  the  morning,  we  saw  on 
both  sides  of  the  river  a  number  of  parakeets  (pirogues), 
and  about  eighty  cabins  full  of  Iiulians,  who  did  not  per- 
ceive us  until  we  had  doubled  a  point  behind  which  tlie 
Illinois  were  camped  within  half  gunshot.  We  were  in 
eight  canoes  abreast,  all  our  men  arms  in  hand,  and  allow- 
ing ourselves  to  go  with  the  current  of  the  river."* 


*  "  DoBcription  of  Louisiana,"  by  Father  Lduis  Hennepin ;  trans- 


His  Description  of  Fort  Crk'e-CtBur. 


101 


Some  two  weeks  after  the  landing  of  the  French  ad- 
venturers here,  and  wlien  it  was  uecided  to  erect  a  fort  in 
the  vicinity  of  their  camp,  Hennepin  wont  with  La  Salle  to 
choose  a  site  for  the  same.  Of  the  biiihling  of  this  fort 
the  friar  gives  the  following  descriptive  account : 

"A  great  thaw  having  set  in  tlie  15th  of  January 
[1680],  and  rendered  the  river  free  below  the  village,  the 
Sieur  de  la  Salle  begged  me  to  accompany  him,  and  we 
proceeded  with  one  of  our  canoes  to  the  place  which  we 
were  going  to  select  to  work  at  this  little  fort.  It  was  a 
little  mound  about  two  hundred  paces  distant  from  the 
bank  of  the  river,  which,  in  the  season  of  the  rains,  ex- 
tends to  the  foot  of  it ;  two  broad,  deep  ravines  protected 
two  other  sides  and  a  part  of  the  fourth,  which  we  com- 
pletely intrenched  by  a  ditch  which  utiited  the  two  ravines. 
Their  exterior  shape,  which  served  as  a  counterscarp,  was 
fortified  with  good  chevaux  de  friese,  and  (we)  cut  this  emi- 
nence down  steep  on  all  sides,  and  the  earth  was  supported 
as  much  as  was  necessary  with  strong  pieces  of  timber 
(and)  with  thick  planks,  and  for  fear  of  any  surprise  we 
planted  a  stockade  around,  tlie  timbers  of  which  were 
twenty-five  feet  long  and  a  foot  thick.  The  summit  of  the 
mound  was  left  in  its  natural  figure,  which  formed  an  ir- 
regular square,  and  we  contented  ourselves  with  putting  on 
the  edge  a  good  parapet  of  earth  capable  of  covering  all 
our  force,  whose  barracks  were  placed  in  two  of  the  angles 
of  this  fort,  in  order  that  they  might  be  always  ready  in 
case  of  an  attack. 

"Father  Gabriel,  Zonobe,  and  I  lodged  in  a  cabin  cov- 
ered with  boai'ds,  which  we  adjusted  with  the  help  of  our 
workmen,  and  in  which  we  retired,  after  work,  all  our  peo- 
ple for  evening  and  morning  prayer,  and  where,  being  una- 
ble any  longer  to  say  mass — the  wine  which  we  had  made 
from  the  large  gra[>es  of  the  country  having  just  failed  us — 
we  contented  ourselves  with  singing  vespers  on  holidays 
and  Sundays,  and  preaching  after  morning  prayers. 


latdd  from  tlie  French  edition  ot"   1683,  with  notes,  etc.     By  John  G. 
«hea  (New  York,  1880),  p.  15b. 


102 


Louis  Hennepin. 


ill* 

m 


"The  forge  was  set  up  along  the  curtaiTi  which  faced 
the  wood.  The  Sieiir  de  hi  Salle  posted  himself  in  the 
middle,  with  the  Sieur  de  Tonty  ;  and  wood  was  cut  down 
to  make  charcoal  for  the  blacksmith."* 

On  page  175  of  the  same  work,  Hennepin  also  tells  us 
the  fort  "was  called  Crh'c-cocur"  and  that  it  was  "situated 
four  days'  journey  from  the  great  village  of  the  Illinois, 
descendiiig  toward  the  river  Colbert"  (Mississippi).  By 
the  phrase  "  great  village,"  he  undoubtedly  referred  to  the 
one  that  stood  in  the  vicinity  of  The  Rock.  In  his 
eecond  publication,  entitled  "New  Discovery,"  etc.  (Eng- 
lish edition,  London,  1698-1699,  p.  103),  Hennepin  gives  a 
shorter  account  of  the  construction  of  Fort  Creve-c(Eur, 
containing,  however,  some  further  [»articulars,  which  we 
reproduce  here. 

"  I  must  observe,"  he  writes,  "  that  the  hardest  winter 
lasts  not  above  two  months  in  this  charming  country ;  so, 
that  on  the  loth  of  January  came  a  sudden  thaw,  which 
made  the  river  navigable  and  the  weather  as  mild  as  it  is 
with  us  in  the  middle  of  the  spring.  M.  la  Salle,  improv- 
ing this  fair  season,  desired  me  to  go  down  the  river  with 
him  to  build  our  fort.  After  having  viewed  the  country, 
we  pitched  upon  an  eminence  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
defended  on  that  side  by  the  river,  and  on  two  others  by 
two  ditches  (which)  the  rains  had  made  very  deep  by  suc- 
cession of  time,  so  that  it  was  accessible  only  by  one  way ; 
therefore,  we  cast  a  line  to  join  these  two  natural  ditches, 
and  made  the  eminence  steep  on  every  side,  supporting  the 
earth  with  great  pieces  of  timber.  We  made  a  hasty  lodg- 
ment thereui)on,  to  be  ready  to  defend  us  in  case  the  sav- 
ages would  obstruct  the  building  of  our  fort;  but  nobody 
ottering  to  disturb  us,  we  went  on  diligently  with  our 
work.  .  .  .  The  fort  being  half  finished,  M.  la  Salle 
lodged  himself  in  the  middle  with  M.  Tonti,  and  every- 
body took  his  post.     We  placed  our  forge  along  the  cur- 


*  Hennepin's  "Description  of  Louisiana";  same  edition  as  before 
cited,  pp.  17G-178.  .• 


Membre's  Account  of  (he  Illinois. 


103 


tain,  on  the  east  side,  and  laid  in  a  great  quantity  of  coale 
for  that  use." 

La  Salle's  own  story  of  the  building  of  Creve-cceur,  as 
related  in  Pierre  Margry's  work  (vol.  11.),  does  not  dift'er 
essentially  from  that  of  Hennepin,  nor  does  he  appear  to 
tix  its  location  with  any  more  precision.  Tlie  Indians  con- 
tinuing friendly,  the  fort  was  substantially  completed  and 
occupied  before  the  iirst  of  March. 

In  tlie  meantime,  Father  Membre  devoted  himself  to 
missionary  instruction  among  the  Illinois,  at  their  village 
or  camp  al  >ut  half  a  league  above  the  fort.  La  Salle,  it  is 
told,  had  made  a  present  of  three  axes  to  one  of  their 
chiefs  named  Oumahouha  (meaning  the  wolf),  on  condition 
that  he  should  adopt  Membre  as  fiis  son  and  care  for  him. 
The  good  friar  visited  the  Indians  daily  in  their  lodges, 
and  in  spite  of  liis  refiugnance  to  their  filthy  habits  and 
disgusting  numners,  labored  earnestly,  though  with  scant 
success,  for  their  spiritual  etdighteument.  Mar(piette  had 
previously  described  the  Illinois  as  having  "an  air  of  Viu- 
inanity,  which  he  did  not  observe  in  any  of  the  other 
nations  seen  on  his  route."  But  Membre,  after  a  familiar 
acquaintance  with  this  people,  has  portrayed  them  more 
nearly  as  they  really  were,  in  all  their  ignorance  and  degra- 
dation. 

"  The  greater  part  of  these  tribes,"  says  he,  "  and  es- 
pecially the  Illinois,  with  wliom  I  have  had  most  inter- 
course, make  (the  coverings  of)  their  cabins  of  double 
mats  of  flat  rushes,  sewed  together.  Their  villages  are  not 
inclosed  with  palisades,  and  being  two  cowardly  to  defend 
thcni,  they  take  flight  at  the  flrst  news  of  a  hostile  army. 
They  are  tall  of  stature,  strong  and  robust,  and  good  arch- 
ers. They  had  as  yet  no  flre-arms — we  gave  some  to  a 
few.  They  are  wandering,  idle,  fearful  and  desolate — al- 
most without  respect  for  their  chiefs — irritable  and  tliiev- 
i«h.  The  richness  and  fertiJity  of  the  country  gives  them 
fields  every-where.  They  have  used  iron  implements  and 
arms  only  since  our  arrival.  Besides  the  bow,  tbey  use  in  war 
a  kind  of  short  pike  and  wooden  maces.  Hermaphrodites  are 
mnnerous.     They  have  nuiny  wives,  and  often  take  several 


104 


Louis  Hennepin. 


Bisters  that  they  may  agree  the  better ;  and  yet  they  are  so 
jealous  that  they  cut  oft"  their  noses  on  the  shghtest  provo- 
cation. They  are  lewd,  and  even  unnaturally  so,  having 
boys  dressed  as  women,  destined  for  infamous  purposes. 
.  .  .  They  are,  moreover,  very  superstitious,  although 
they  have  no  religious  worship.  They  are,  besides,  much 
given  to  play,  like  all  the  Indians  in  America  that  I  am 
able  to  know.* 

Having  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Hennepin  might 
be  more  advantageously  employed  than  in  preaching  homi- 
lies to  the  Frenchmen  at  Fort  Creve-cceur,  La  Salle  re- 
quested him  to  lead  an  exploi-ing  party  down  the  IllinoiH 
and  up  the  Mississippi  river.  The  worthy  friar,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  subsequent  account,  was  very  averse  to  this 
difficult  and  perilous  undertaking,  which  yet  was  to  make 
him  famous.  He  set  up  the  plea  of  bodily  infirmity,  claim- 
ing that  he  had  ati  abscess  in  his  mouth,  which  had  lasted 
for  more  than  a  year,  and  which  required  his  return  to 
Canada  for  medical  treatment.  His  excuse,  however,  was 
not  held  sufficient,  since  neither  of  his  two  missionary  as- 
sociates was  so  well  qualified  for  the  bold  task  as  himself; 
Father  Ribourde  being  too  old  and  Membre  too  young. 
"  Anybody  but  me,"  writes  Hennepin,  in  his  New  Discovery^ 
"  would  have  been  much  frightened  with  the  dangers  of 
such  a  jouriiey,  and  if  I  had  not  put  all  my  trust  in  God,  I 
should  not  have  been  the  dupe  of  La  Salle."* 


*See  A  Narrative  of  the  adventures  of  La  Salle's  jiarty  at  Fort  Cr^ve- 
ccexir,  and  in  the  Valley  of  the  Illinois,  by  Zenobe  Membre;  printed  in 
LeClercq's  "  First  Establishment  of  the  Faith  in  New  France."  En- 
glish translation,  New  York,  1881,  vol.  II,  p.  134. 

*  With  reference  to  this  adventurous  river  voyage,  the  Margry  Re- 
lation has  the  following:  "  At  the  same  time  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  pro- 
posed to  have  the  route  he  was  to  take  to  the  river  Mississippi  explorer! 
in  advance,  and  the  course  of  that  river  above  and  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Divii.e  river,  or  of  the  Illinois,  Father  Louis  Hennepin  offered  to 
take  this  voyage,  in  order  to  begin  and  make  acquaintance  with  the 
nations  among  whom  he  proposed  to  go  and  settle  to  preach  the  faith. 
The  Sieur  de  la  Salle  was  reluctant  to  impose  this  task  on  him,  but 
seeing  that  he  was  resolute,  he  consented."  See  note  in  Shea's  Henne- 
pin, p.  179.  -■■"-.     - 


His  Famo^is  Mississippi  Voyage. 


105 


His  compagnons  de  voyage  were  Michael  Ako,  or  Ac- 
cault,  and  Picard  du  Gay,  a  native  of  Picardy,  whose  real 
name  was  Anthony  Augelle.  Accault  was  tolera!>'  '  versed 
in  the  language  of  the  Illinois,  and,  for  this  reason,  and  be- 
cause of  his  experience,  he  was  made  the  business  director 
of  the  party.  Both  of  these  men  were  robust  and  hardy, 
though  physically,  somewhat  smaller  than  Hennepin.  Be- 
sides being  well  clad  and  armed,  they  were  supplied  with 
a  good  canoe,  a  large  peace  calumet,  and  about  one  thousand 
livres  worth  of  goods,  to  be  used  in  trading  with  and  con- 
ciliating the  Indians  who  might  be  met  on  the  river.  The 
little  party  embarked  near  Fort  Creve-coeur,  on  the  even- 
ing* of  the  last  day  ot  February,  1680.  La  Salle  and  the 
rest  of  his  men  quietly  escorted  them  to  the  bank  of  the 
river  to  see  them  oft',  and  wish  them  a  bon  voyage.  With  a 
parting  benediction  from  the  good  old  Father  Ribourde, 
who  advanced  to  the  waters'  edge  to  bestow  it,  the  voya- 
gers plied  their  light  paddles,  and  were  soon  lost  to  sight 
in  the  shadows  and  bend  of  the  stream. 

The  Lower  Illinois,  on  which  they  were  now  afloat, 
and  which  Hennepin  called  the  Seignelay,  is  described  by 
him  as  being  as  deep  and  broad  as  the  river  Seine,  at  Paris, 
and  as  widening  out  in  several  places  to  a  quarter  of  a 
league.  The  first  Indians  met  on  the  way  were  a  party  of 
the  Peorias,  who  were  returning  up  to  their  village,  and 
M'ho  used  every  eftbrt  to  induce  the  voyagers  to  turn  back 
with  them.  Continuing  to  descend  the  river  until  the  7th 
of  March,  and  having  arrived  within  two  leagues  of  its 
month,  they  found  a  tribe  called  the  Maroas,  or  Tamaroas, 
numbering  about  two  hundred  tamiliew,  who  wished  to 
take  them  to  their  village,  which  lay  some  distance  below, 
on  the  bank  of  the  "  great  river."  Upon  reaching  the 
Mississippi  it  was  discovered  full  of  running  ice,  a  sight 
well  calculated  to  shake  the  strongest  nerves.     Being  de- 


*Thi8  was  the  time  of  their  departure,  as  stated  by  La8all<»,  and  it 
would  seem  to  have  been  selected  on  purpose  to  avoid  observation  and 
iuinoyance  by  the  neighboring  Indians.  See  La  Salle's  letter  of  Aug. 
'-*-*,  1082,  in  Margry,  II.,  p.  245. 


106 


Louis  Hrnncpin. 


tained  from  this  circumstance  till  tlie  12th  of  March  our 
intrepid  voyagers  re-emburked,  and,  turning  the  prow  of 
their  canoe  against  the  sweeping  current  of  the  unexplored 
river,  continued  to  ascend  it,  slowly  and  with  difficulty,  for 
the  succeeding  four  weeks. 

On  the  11th  or  12th  of  April,  having  passed  the  mouth 
of  the  river  Des  Moines,  tliey  were  surprised  and  captured 
by  a  war  party  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  Sioux  Indians, 
who  were  coming  down  the  Mississippi  in  iifty  canoes,  in 
pursuit  of  a  band  of  the  Miamis.  Having  made  this  un- 
expected capture,  the  Sioux  warriors  held  a  council,  and 
decided  to  return  to  their  own  country.  Accordingly,  on 
the  next  day,  they  began  their  homeward  voyage,  taking 
with  them  as  prisoners  Hennepin  and  his  two  companions. 
After  a  rapid  navigation  of  nineteen  days,  and  having 
passed  tlirough  Lake  Pepin,  wliere  the  savages  kept  up  a 
terrible  howling,  they  landed  in  a  cove  of  the  river  a  few 
leagues  below  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  Here  the  Sioux 
warriors  hid  their  own  canoes  in  a  clump  of  alders,  and 
then  broke  up  the  canoe  of  the  Frenchmen,  lest  the  latter 
might  return  in  it  to  their  enemies.  They  next  divided 
the  property  of  their  captives,  including  Hennepin's  vest- 
ments and  portal)le  chapel,  and  distributed  their  persons  to 
three  separate  heads  of  families,  to  take  the  place  of  their 
sons  who  had  been  killed  in  war.  This  being  done,  though 
not  without  sharp  wrangling  among  themselves,  the  Indians 
started  northward  across  the  country  for  their  homes,  taking 
their  captives  with  them.  After  a  hurried  march  of  five 
days,  during  which  the  friar  and  his  companions  had  well 
nigh  perished  from  cold,  hunger  and  fatigue,  they  reached 
the  Sioux  villages  near  Mille  Lacs,  Minnesota,  about  the  5th 
of  May. 

The  savage  'Iwellers  in  these  northern  villages  were 
called  the  Issavi,  or  Isanati,  and  they  formed  one  of  the 
three  divisions  of  the  powerful   Sioux  Nation.*     It  was 


*"The  earliest  record  of  the  Siouan  languages,"  says  Professor  J. 
W.  Powell,  "  is  that  of  Hetinepin,  compiled  about  1()80.  The  earliest 
printed  vocabulary  is  that  of  the  Naudowessie  (i.  e.,  the  Dakota)  in 
Carver's  Travels,  first  published  in  1778."     It  is  worthy  of  mention  hero, 


His  Life  Among  the  Sioux. 


107 


with  thin  uncouth  people  that  Hennepin  spent  the  ennuing 
Hummer  and  early  autumn.  He  experienced  some  rttUier 
hard  unage  at  first,  but,  upon  the  whole,  was  better  treated 
than  might  have  been  expected.  He  wae  assigned  to  the  care 
of  a  cliief  named  Aquipaguetin,  whom  he  did  not  like,  but 
who  adopted  him  as  a  son,  and  took  him  to  his  lodge  and 
village.  Here,  in  consequence  of  his  enfeebled  condition, 
the  Indians  made  for  him  one  of  their  sweating  baths,  in 
which  he  was  immersed  three  times  a  week,  and  derived 
mucli  benefit  from  the  treatment.  Regaining  his  health, 
he  studied  the  language  and  manners  of  this  barbarous 
race,  and  acted  as  physician  to  such  of  them  as  required 
his  services.  But  he  did  not  find  among  these  wild  men 
any  encouragement  for  the  exercise  of  his  clerical  func- 
tions. "  I  could  gain  nothing  over  them,"  he  tells  us,  "  in 
the  way  of  their  salvation,  by  reason  of  their  natural  stu- 
pidity." Yet,  on  one  occasion,  he  baptized  a  sick  child 
ju8t  before  its  death. 

At  the  end  of  about  two  months,  Hennepin  and  his 
iWKociates  in  captivity  were  allowed  to  accompany  a  numer- 
oiiH  hunting  and  fishing  party  of  the  8ioux  down  Rum 
River,  from  Mille  Lac  to  the  Mississippi.  Arrived  thither, 
the  restless  friar  and  Du  Gay,  after  obtaining  permission 
from  the  chief,  Ouasicoude,  set  out  in  a  birch  canoe  for  the 
nioiith  of  the  Wisconsin,  where  they  hoped  to  meet  some 
|^ Frenchmen  whom  La  Salle  was  expected  to  send  to  meet 
them,  Accault  did  not  accompany  them  on  the  journey, 
as  he  preferred  to  stay  with  the  Indians.  Rapidly  descend- 
ing this  hitherto  unexplored  part  of  the  Mississij  pi,  our 
two  voyagers  soon  drew  aear  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  so 
named  by  Hennepin  in  honor  of  his  patron  saint  of  Padua. 
He  describes  the  falls  as  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  high,  with 
an  island  of  pyramidal  form  lying  nearly  midway  the 
stream.*     Carrying  their  light  canoe  and  luggage  below 


I  that  8orr.e  philologists  have  traced  an  apparent  analogy  between  the 
language  of  the  Sioux  and  that  of  the  Tartars  in  northern  Asia. 

*A8  late  as  1820,  according  to  Schoolcraft  (H.  R.),  the  perpendicular 
height  of  the  cataract,  in  its  highest  part,  was  about  forty  feet,  its 

i  breadth  being  twelve  hundred  feet.    But  by  the  constant  reaction  of 


108 


Louis  Hennepin. 


the  roaring  cataract,  they  re-embarked,  and  held  oo  th^ir 
lonely  way  down  the  sinuon.s  ''iver  to  the  confluence  of  the 
Wisconsin,  a  distance  of  sixty  French  leagues  from  the 
falls.  Finding  no  Frenchmen  there  to  receive  them,  they 
returned  disappointed,  and  joined  a  large  band  of  the 
8ioux  who  were  hunting  on  the  Chippewa,  a  stream  which 
enters  the  Mississipp'  from  the  east  at  Lake  Pepin,  and 
leisurely  followed  them  back  up  the  river. 

At  length,  after  an  irksome  and  anxious  captivity  of 
five  and  a  half  months,  the  friar  and  his  associates  were 
allowed  to  go  free.  Their  release  was  effected  through  the 
opportune  arrival  of  one  of  their  own  countrymen,  Daniel 
Greysolon  du  L'hut,*  A^ho,  with  five  ar»ned  Frenchmen, 
had  penetrated  into  the  Sioux  country  from  Lake  Superior. 
and  made  satisfactory  terms  with  the  savages. 

Toward  the  end  of  September,  Father  Hennepin  and 
his  compatriots — eight  Frenchmen  in  two  canoes — left  the 
Sioux  villages  on  their  return  to  the  French  settlements, 
and  journeyed  south  and  east,  via  the  St.  Francis,  the  Mis- 
sissippi, the  Wisconsin,  and  Fox  Rivers,  to  Green  Bay. 
Thence  they  coasted  around  the  northern  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan  to  Michilimackinac,  where  Hennepin  spent  the 
winter  with  the  Jesuit  Father  Pierson,  a  former  fellow- 


the  water  against  the  underlying  strata  of  soit  sandstone,  and  the  conee- 
■quent  breaking  off  of  the  upper  and  harder  table  rock,  the  height  o( 
the  falls  is  now  reduced  to  fifteen  feet.  Their  natural  beauty  ha8  also 
been  marred  and  obscured  by  the  erection  of  nulls,  and  other  works 
of  civilized  man. 

•Some  additional  notice  of  the  Sieur  du  L'hut,  or  Du  Luth,  may  li 
acceptable  to  the  general  reader.  He  was  a  native  of  Lyons,  Franw 
and  a  cousin  of  the  Sieur  de  Tonty,  whom  he  more  than  once  visitaiat 
Fort  !St.  Louis  of  the  Illinois.  Having  come  to  Canada  as  a  youpi;  of- 
ficer, he  led  the  life  of  a  military  adventurer,  and  became  noted  for  his 
enterprise  antl  hardihood.  In  1()H()  he  was  ordered  by  De  Nonville,  then 
)jovernor  of  Canada,  to  fortify  the  Strait  of  Detroit.  Proceeding  thitlier 
with  fifty  men,  he  built  a  stockade  called  Fort  St.  "  soph,  and  occupieil 
it  till  the  summer  of  1087,  when  lie  headed  a  force  of  French  and  In- 
<lians  from  the  upper  lakes  in  the  war  against  the  Senecas,  In  H)i>5  I"' 
was  commandant  at  Fort  Frontenac,  and  retained  this  position  for  Home 
years.  He  died  of  chronic  gout,  in  Canada,  during  the  winter  of  .l7O9-'10, 
It  was  doubtless  from  this  noted  Frenchman,  that  the  modern  oommer- 
cial  city  of  Duluth  derived  its  name. 


He  Returns  to  France. 


109 


townsman,  at  the  missioR  of  St.  I^nacc.  On  the  29ch  of 
the  following  March,  1681,  before  the  ice  had  disappeared 
from  the  straits,  our  restless  friar,  with  a  few  boatmen,  re- 
samed  his  journey  eastward  from  Michilimaekinac*  Drag- 
ging their  canoes  and  provisions  over  tlie  snow  and  ice  un- 
til open  water  was  reached,  they  then  embarked  and  rowed 
along  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Huron  to  and  through  the 
St.  Clair,  and  thence  over  Lake  Erie  to  the  Falls  of  Niag- 
ara. Making  a  portage  round  the  fallw,  they  next  entered 
Lake  Ontario  and  sailed  along  its  southern  side  thirty 
league  to  a  large  village  of  the  Senecas,  where  Hennepin 
stopped  for  a  while  and  renewed  his  acquantance  with  the 
chiefs  of  that  nation.  lie  thence  proceeded  to  Fort  Fron- 
tenac,  and  afterward  descended  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Mon- 
treal, where  Governor  Frontenac  then  was.  Here  he  was 
very  graciously  received  by  the  governor,  to  whom  he  gave 
a  graphic  recital  of  his  river  voyages  and  captivity  among 
the  wild  tribes  on  the  upper  Mississippi,  and  showed  him 
the  advantas:e8  to  be  derived  from  their  discoverv. 

Taking  ship  at  Quebec  for  Old  France,  Father  Henne- 
pin reached  that  country  again  near  the  close  of  1681,  after 
an  absence  of  six  ye^rs.  He  then  went  to  reside  for  a  time 
at  the  Convent  of  St.  Germain-en-Laye.    After  this  he  was 


*  Mackinac,  or  Miohilimarkinuo,  was  then  a  placo  of  much  less  con- 
sequence than  in  1088  (seven  years  later),  when  the  Daron  d"  lii  lion- 
tan  was  sent  thither  with  a  company  of  French  troops.  He  giv<!s  us. 
tlii8  quaint  yet  interesting  description  of  the  mission  and  settlemetit : 
"MiBHilimackinac  is  certainly  a  place  of  great  importance.  It  lies  in 
latitude  of  forty-five  degrees  and  thirty  minutes;  but  as  to  its  longi- 
tude I  have  nothing  to  say,  for  reasons  expressed  in  my  second  letter. 
T i;<  not  Koove  half  a  league  from  the  fllinois  Luke  (Michigan).  Here 
tlif  Hurons  and  Outaous  have  each  a  village  ;  the  one  being  severed 
from  the  other  by  a  single  pali.^'.ide.  ...  In  this  place  the  .lesuits 
liavc  a  Uttle  house  or  college,  adjoining  to  a  sort  of  (diurch,  and  inclostfd 
with  pales  that  separate  it  fron>  the  village  of  the  llurons.  These  good 
Katlicrs  lavish  away  all  their  divinity  and  patience  in  converting  such 
ignorant  infidels.  .  .  .  The  amreurx  dc  /?oJ.i  have  a  very  small  set- 
tlement here,  thougli  'tis  not  inconsiderable,  as  being  the  staple  (or 
nmrt)  of  all  the  goods  that  they  truck  wiMi  the  south  and  west  savagv^s; 
for  they  can  not  avoid  passing  this  way  when  they  go  to  the  seuts  of  th«y' 
llliuese  and  the  Ouinamis  (Miamics),  or  to  the  Baye  des  Puant  anil  the 
Hiver  MissisHippi."— '«  llontan's  Voyages,  Knglish  ed.,  vol,  1.,  pp.  87,  88^ 


110 


L<^uis  Hennepin. 


vicar  and  acting  superior  of  the  Recolleta  at  Chateau  Gain 
bresis,  where  he  was  visited  by  his  former  companion, 
Father  Zenobe  Mombre,  about  1(383.  Subsequentl^y,  he 
was  Guardian  for  some  three  years  of  the  KecoUet  conveiii 
at  Rentz,  in  Artois.  During  this  time  he  was  requested  by 
his  superior  to  return  to  the  mission  in  Canada,  but  he  de- 
clined to  comply;  his  excuse  being  that  the  "particular  lawH 
of  his  religious  order  did  not  .,>llige  him  to  go  beyond  the 
sea  against  his  will,"  and  that  the  malice  of  his  eneniien 
there  would  expose  him  to  perish  among  the  savages. 

At  or  before  the  year  169'^  owing  in  part  to  his  in- 
triguing character,  Hennepin  was  ordered  by  the  MiniHter 
of  Wur  to  quit  the  French  realm  ;  and,  with  the  consent  of 
his  superior,  withdrew  into  Holland,  wliere  he  gained  pro- 
tection at  the  court  of  William  III  In  order  to  travel  in  that 
country  without  attracting  paicicular  notice,  he  laid  m'nh 
his  monastic  garb,  but  did  not  renounce  his  vows,  and  con- 
tinued to  sign  himself  "Recollect  a!jd  Notaire  Apostolique." 
Becoming  tired  of  Holland,  we  are  told  that  he  ottered  to 
return  and  again  go  as  a  missioiuiry  to  America,  but  that 
he  was  not  permitted  to  re-enter  France  for  the  purpose, 
With  respect  to  liis  peregrinations  in  the  last  years  of  hi^ 
erratic  and  checkered  life,  we  have  no  authentic  informa- 
tion. It  is  stated  by  some  writers  that  he  went  on  a  [)il- 
grimage  to  Rome,  and  was  at  the  convent  of  Ara-celi  in 
1701,  but  that  he  returned  thence,  aiid  died  shortly  after  at 
Utrecht.     He  was  tlien  probably  sixty -two  years  old. 

During  his  extended  travels  in  North  America,  Friar 
H(!nnepin  had  kept  a  diary  or  journal,  and  his  first  labor 
on  returning  to  France  was  to  prepare  it  for  publication. 
His  first  and  n\ost  valuable  work,  1  ocause  written  from 
personal  observation,  and  without  any  special  motive  to 
prevari>  ate,  was  published  at  Paris  early  in  »)aiMiary,  t()8!{, 
and  was  dedicated  to  his  (/hristian  Majesty,  Louis  XIV. 
Its  French  title  runs  as  follows  :  "  Description  de  la  Louisi- 
anc^  novellcnumt  decouverte  an  su.d-ouesf.  de  la  Nouvelle.  France; 
Avec  la  CarU  d.u  Pays,  Ics  moeurs  d  (a  maniere  d.e  vie  des  Son- 
vagcs.  Dc.dik  A  sa  Majestic.  Par  le  R.  P.  Hennepin.,  Mn- 
sionaire  Hecolleot  el  Notaire  Apostolique." 


His  Writings 


111 


Thin  book  became  immediately  popular,  both  in  Prance 
and  the  adjacent  countries,  and  translatioun  of  it  soon  ap- 
peare<l  in  the  English,  Dutch,  and  Italian  languages.  It 
contains  a  copious  thou<rh  desultory  narrativ^e  of  La  Salle's 
first  expedition  to  the  West,  and  of  Hennepin  s  own  voy- 
ages an<l  discoveries  in  connection  therewith  ;  and  des{»it,e 
its  author's  egotism  and  propensity  to  magnify  his  individ- 
ual exploits,  the  work  is  equally  entertaining  and  instruc- 
tive. The  style  is  simple  and  natural,  and  the  language 
perspicuous,  though  losing  much  of  its  origiiuility  i:i  its 
English  dress.  He  was  an  observant  traveler,  using  his  eyes 
wherever  he  went,  and  his  pictures  of  the  wild  country  and 
of  savage  life  are  very  graplnc.  He  had  studied  the  In- 
dians attentively,  an<l  [lortrays  their  nnmners  vividly. 

His  second  an<l  more  comprehensive,  i>ut  less  reliable, 
publication,  did  not  see  the  light  of  print  until  fourteen 
years  after  the  tirst.    If  is  thus  lengthily  entitled  in  P'rench  : 

^^  Noii.cdk'  Decoui'erte  (fun  tres  grand  pivjs^  sif.ue  dans  L' 
Amenqae^  entre  le  Nomaa  Meriquc  et  la  Mer  Glaclale;  Avec 
les  Cartes  et  les  Figures  neeessaire,  et  de  plus  UHistoire  nat- 
ureUc  et  morale,  et  L'S  arantagcs  qu'  on  peut  tier  par  le  etahlisse- 
ment  dcs  colonies.  Le  tout  dediee  d  sv  Majeste  Brittaniqae, 
Gaillaume  III.,  Par  le  Louis  Hennepin,''  etc.  A.  Utrecht 
1G97,  Amsterdam  1698,  and  London  l<)98-'9!).* 

In  this  book  was  first  inserted  the  narrative  of  Henne- 
pin's pretended  descent  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  Uulf,  and 
and  in  the  preface  thereto,  by  way  of  ex[)lanation,  he  says : 
"'T  is  true  I  published  part  of  it  in  the  year  1684  (1683), 
ill  my  account  of  L(»uisiana,  {)rinted  at  I'aris  by  order  of 
the  French  king:  but  I  was  then  obliged  to  say  nothing  of 
the  course  of  the  river  Meschasipi,  from  the  mouth  of  tlie 
river  Illinois  down  to  the  sea,  for  fear  of  disobliging  M.  la 


*The  FCnglish  of  this  reads  an  tollowB:  "  New  Discovery  of  a  very 
(i teat  Country,  situated  in  Auierioa  between  New  Mexieo  and  t lie  Icy 
Sen;  with  some  necessary  maps  and  illustrations,  and,  moreover,  the 
history,  natural  and  moral,  and  the  advantages  that  may  I  e  had  by  the 
ostablishment  there  of  some  colonies.  The  whole  dedicated  to  his 
Brittanic  Majesty,  William  III.  By  I^>uis  Hennepin,"  etc.  Printed  at 
Utrecht  HM>7,  .Vmsterdum  U)!)8,  and  London  I()()S-'<.«>. 


112 


Louis  Hennepin. 


Salle,  with  whom  I  began  my  discovery.  TIhh  gentleman 
would  have  the  glory  of  having  discovered  the  course  of 
that  rivdr;  but  when  he  heard  that  I  had  done  it  two  yearn 
before  him,  he  would  never  forgive  me,  tliough,  as  I  have 
said,  I  was  so  modest  as  to  publish  notliing  of  it."'*' 

Hennepin's  third  and  smaller  work  on  America,  bear- 
ing the  title  of  "■  NoHveau  Voyage  </'  an  pais  pine  grand 
que  ly  En  rope;  avec  les  rejicxions  des  enterprises  dii  Siciir 
de  la  Salle,  fur  les  mines  de  St.  Darhe,'"'  etc.,  was  issued  at 
Utreclit  in  1698,  and  was  also  dedicated  to  tlie  King  of 
England  juid  Holland,  in  that  Ktyle  of  fulsome  adulation 
then  in  vogue.  In  his  prefatory  note  to  this  book,  tlie  friar 
speciously  replies  to  those  who  had  doubted  tlie  possibility  of 
Viis  liavingsailed  down  and  up  the  Mississipj>i  within  tliebrief 
time  mentioned  in  liis  "  New  Discovery."  The  story  of  liis 
feigned  descent  of  that  river  to  i\\Q  Gulf  of  Mexico  obtained 
general  credence  in  tliis  country,  notwithstanding  the  man- 
ifest dit!i(!ulty  of  reconciling  its  dates  and  conflicting  state- 
ments, until  the  api)earance  of  Spark's  Life  oi  La  Salle  (in 
his  series  of  "American  Biographies,"  1844— '47),  since  whi(;h 
time  it  has  been  rejected  aH  a  fiction.  irennej)in  wouKl 
thus  seem  to  have  been  guilty  of  deliberate  falsehood,  mikI 
in  seeking  to  rob  La  Salle  of  his  principal  laurel,  he  only 
tarninhed  his  own  fame.  La  Salle,  however,  is  not  deserv- 
ing of  any  especial  commiseration  ;  for  it  appears  from  the 
anonymous  brochure  or  memoir  put  forth  in  liis  interest, 
in  the  year  lt>78,  that  he  was  not  unwilling  to  have  the 
world  believe  he  had  discovered  the  Mississippi,  before  the 
historic  voyage  thereon  by  Joliet  and  Marciuette. 

*"Hof()n>  this  publicivtion,  liowcvcr,  Tonty'H  Kelution  had  boon 
publisluul,  iiiul,  ill  UiDl,  u  work  ontitlcd  :  'Tlio  KstubliHhtnont  of  the 
Faitb  in  New  KriuuH','  by  tlu>  Uocollot  ininHioiuiry,  Fntlier  (Clirction)  be 
Clercq,  who  ha«l  derived  his  niateriulH  roUitiiiK  to  La  Salle'H  expedition 
to  the  (Inlf  from  tlie  letters  which  the  Father  Zenobe  Membre,  who  ac- 
companied it,  had  written  to  the  liiHhop  of  Quebec.  Parallel  passiigcR 
from  Le  Clerci]  and  Hennepin  have  been  examined,  so  closely  resembliiij,'. 
Id  every  injportant  particular,  as  to  compel  the  beMef  that  Ileunepin'e 
publication  of  KUm  iH  a  piracy  upon  it,  and  a  wicked  attempt  to  deprive 
La  Salle  of  his  hard-earned  honor."— Breese's  I'kvrly  Hist.  111.,  p.  128; 
Chicago,  1884. 


His  Writinffs. 


113 


Hoiinepiii  was,  at  this  time,  in  tho  service  or  [)ay  of 
the  J)utch-Eiigilsh  court;  and  it  \a  atiinned  that  he  was  in- 
(hieed  (perliapw  rctiuired)  to  write  a  new  account  of  hig 
travels  and  discoveries  in  North  America,  conii)risinij^  a  nar- 
rative of  his  alleged  voyage  down  the  Mississippi  to  the  sea, 
in  order  to  favor  the  pretensions  of  King  William  HI.,  who 
wished  to  set  up  for  himself  a  claim  to  the  country  of  Lou- 
isiana. This  statement  (ku'ives  plausihiiity  from  the  circiim- 
stance  that,  in  1()99,  two  English  vessels  were  sent  to  ex- 
plore the  passes  of  the  Mississip[)i.  There  were  also  other 
motives  that  influenced  and  may  hcl[)  to  ex[)lain  the  friar's 
dubious  con<hict.  Among  these  was  his  inordinate  vanity, 
which  seems  to  have  augmented  with  his  years,  and 
prompted  him  to  air  ins  personal  grievances,  and  to  pose 
before  the  reading  worhl  as  a  persecuted  man.  Then  again, 
tho  [trospeotive  increase  in  the  srle  of  his  book,  from  the 
insertion  of  new  and  entertaining  matter,  must  have  exer- 
cised no  little  influence,  particularly  with  his  pulilishers. 

Yet,  apart  from  all  this,  there  ai'e  reasons  for  suspecting 
that  Hennepin  himself  was  not  responsible  for  all  the  fic- 
tions printed  in  his  "New  Discovery."  Tlie  hand  of  an 
anonymous  and  careless  editor  is  traceable  in  various  parts 
of  the  book,  which  is  said  to  have  been  altered  even  after 
itstirst  printing.  This  charitable  view  of  the  matter,  while 
it  K'ssens  ]Ienne[»in's  cul[>ability,  does  not  ex(;ul[>ato  him 
tVotn  censure.  The  whole  ^ruth  about  the  origin  an<l  appear- 
ance of  his  last  two  publications,  though  inviting  attention 
and  inquiry,  will  probably  never  be  known.* 

But  stilly  witli  all  his  faults  and  failings  and  tjaprices, 
Louis  Hennepin  was  no  ordinary  man,  and  his  was  no  or- 
dinary destiny.  Distinguished  not  only  as  a  traveler  and 
RecoUet  missionary,  he  was  also  the  flrst  j)opular  writer  on 
the  French  in  North  America..  Moreover,  his  memory  is 
lastingly  linked   with  two,  at   least,  of  the  great  natural 


*For  a  critical  discjuisition  upou  this  curious  and  recondite  aubjec^t, 
the  iniiuring  reader  is  referred  to  tiie  late  Dr.  Shea's  Notice  of  tho  Life 
and  Writings  of  Fatiier  Hennepin,  in  his  annotated  (tditiou  of  the  "  De- 
ncriptiim  de  la  Loumane"  N.  Y.,  18H0. 

8 


114 


Louis  Hennepin. 


monuments  of  this  country — the  Falls  of  Niagara  and  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony ;  and  it  was  he  who  first  publicly  gave 
the  name  to  that  vast  and  magnificent  territory,  lying  mostly 
on  the  west  of  the  Mississippi,  which  is  still  worn  by  that 
portion  of  it  incorporated  into  the  sovereign  State  of  Lou- 
isiana. 


La  SatU  Returns  to  Fort  Frontenac. 


115 


CHAPTER  VI. 


1680-1681. 


LA   SALLE    AND    TONTY. 


It  is  now  time  to  return  to  La  Salle,  the  central  figure 
in  this  important  and  difficult  enterprise.  On  the  second  ot 
March,  two  days  after  the  departure  of  Father  HeniiCpin 
from  Creve-coeur,  the  resolute  chief  himself  set  forth  on 
his  return  journey  to  Fort  Frontenac.  He  left  Tonty,  his 
trusted  lieutenant,  in  command  at  the  Illinois  fort,  with  a 
company  of  fifteen  men,  and  took  with  him  four  French- 
men, hesides  his  indispensable  Mohegan  hunter.  The  last 
month  of  the  winter  had  been  extremely  cold,  so  that  the 
passage  of  La  Salle  and  his  little  party  up  the  river  and 
lakes  was  much  obstructed  by  ice,  either  firm  or  drifting. 
At  Peoria  Lake  his  men  had  to  make  sleuges  for  their  two 
canoes,  and  drag  them  over  the  frozen  surface.  From 
thoncc  they  slowly  and  laboriously  advanced,  alternately 
by  land  and  water,  amid  the  chilling  rains  and  melting 
snows  of  the  opening  spring. 

Arriving  at  the  great  town  of  the  Illinois  on  the  11th 
of  March,  they  found  it  still  a  solitude,  and  the  roofs 
of  its  lodges  crested  with  snow,  the  copper-hued  in- 
habitants not  having  as  yet  returned  from  their  winter 
hunt.  Encamping  here,  one  of  the  hunters  killed  a  stray 
hufl'alo.  and  while  his  men  were  smoking  the  meat  of  the 
animal.  La  Salle  reconnoitered  the  adjacent  country.  Fall- 
ing in  with  three  Illinois  Indians,  he  brought  them  to  his 
cam{sgave  them  food  and  presents,  and  secured  from  them 
a  promise  to  send  provisions  to  his  men  at  the  fort.  Dur- 
ing his  short  stay  at  this  place,  he  attentively  examined 
that  rugged  and  precipitous  <;lift',  designated  by  him  as  Le 
Itochir  (The  Kock),  which  had  been  passed  without  particu- 
lar notice  in  his  previous  trip  down  the  river.     Being  ini- 


llo 


La  Salle  and  Tonty. 


pressed  with  its  rare  capabilities  as  a  defensive  position,  he 
soon  afterward  sent  back  word  to  Tonty  to  occupy  and 
fortify  it. 

Quitting  the  vicinity  of  tlie  Indian  town  on  the  15th, 
the  leader  and  liia  party  continued  their  toilsome  ascent 
of  the  Illinois  and  its  Dos  IMaines  brancli  until  tliey  ap- 
proached the  place  where  .Joliet  now  stands,  when  further 
navigation  was  rendered  impracticable  by  the  firmness  of 
the  ice  in  the  river.  Here  they  hid  their  canoes,  strapped 
their  luggage  on  their  shoulders,  and  started  over-land  for 
Lake  Michigan,  distant  about  fifty  miles.  The  country  all 
around  was  a  flat  and  dreary  waste,  covered  with  half- 
melted  snow  and  intersected  by  swollen  streams,  some  of 
which  they  forded,  and  others  they  crossed  on  log  rafts. 
On  the  23d  of  Marcli  they  were  cheered  by  glimpses  of  tlie 
southern  extremity  of  the  lake,  seen  through  the  openings 
in  the  leafless  forest  trees ;  at  night  they  encamped  on  its 
beach,  and  the  next  day  followed  its  sandy  shores  east  and 
northeast  to  Fort  Miami.  Here  La  Salle  found  the  two 
men  whom  he  had  sent  down  the  lake  in  the  preceding- 
November  to  look  for  the  Grifiin,  th.ey  having  gone  to 
Mackinac  and  returned  without  getting  any  tidings  of  the 
missing  vessel.  He  now  ordered  them  to  proceed  to  the 
fort  on  the  Illinois,  and  gave  them  a  letter  to  carry  to  De 
Tonty.  In  order  to  gain  time,  the  dauntless  ciiief,  and  his 
travel-worn  companions,  next  turned  their  steps  eastward 
across  the- southern  peninsula  of  Michigan.  Their  journey 
through  its  gloomy  and  trackless  forests  was  cJne  of  pecu- 
liar hardship,  since  they  could  keep  no  fire  at  night  for  fear 
of  straggling  parties  of  Indians.  Coming  to  a  tributary  of 
the  Detroit,  they  made  a  log  canoe  and  descended  in  it  to 
that  river,  and  thence  marched  across  the  country  some 
thirty  miles  to  Lake  Erie.  Here  they  embarked  in  a  canoo 
and  coasted  the  northern  shore  of  the  lake  as  far  east  as  the 
mouth  of  Grand  River,  and  then  proceeded  overland  to  the 
post  which  La  Salle  had  established  below  the  Falls  of  Niag- 
ara. From  thence,  with  a  party  of  fresh  men,  he  pushed 
down  and  across  Lake  Ontario  to  his  seigniory  of  Fort  Froii- 
tenac,  whither  he  arrived  on  the  tith  of  May,  1(380.,     TIiuh 


La  Salic s  Financial  Misfortunes. 


117 


within  the  brief  interval  of  sixty-five  days,  he  had  per- 
formed an  arduous  journey  through  tlie  wiklorness  of  over 
eight  hundred  miles,  which,  considering  the  season  and 
circumstances  under  which  math',  was  a  most  remarkable 
exhibition  of  pluck  and  physical  endurance. 

Arrived  at  his  seigniory,  La  Salle  found  all  of  his  af- 
fairs in  confusion.  Not  only  had  the  Griffin  been  lost,  with 
her  furs  and  pelts,  but  a  vessel  coming  from  France  witti 
a  cargo  for  his  com})any,  valued  at  2,200  livres,  liad  been 
wrecked  on  St.  Peter's  Island,  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence; 
and  several  canoes  loaded  with  his  merchandise  liad  been 
swallowed  up  in  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  More- 
over, some  of  his  agents  had  acted  in  bad  faith  with  him,  and 
his  creditors  were  preparing  to  seize  upon  the  residue  of  his 
property.  But,  in  the  presence  of  these  accumulated  mis- 
fortunes, which  would  have  crushed  any  other  man,  he  was 
neither  disheartened  nor  swerved  from  his  purpose.  lie  at 
once  hastened  to  Montreal  to  arrange  matters  with  his  prin- 
cipal creditors,  and  such  was  still  his  credit  and  influence 
there,  fnat  he  was  enabled  to  procure  tlie  requisite  supplies 
for  continuing  his  great  enterprise.  Keturning  from  Mon- 
treal to  Frontenae,  he  was  met  by  two  messengers  just  ar- 
lived  with  a  letter  from  Tonty,  stating  that  after  his  de- 
parture from  Fort  Creve-coeur,  a  majority  of  his  men  there 
had  deserted  the  fort,  and  wasted  or  destroyed  such  stores 
as  they  could  not  carry  away.  Following  his  letter,  came 
Ticws  by  two  traders  on  the  lakes  that  the  deserters  had 
destroyed  his  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Miamis  or  St. 
Joseph,  and  plundered  his  warehouse  at  Niagara.  Being 
farther  informed  that  twelve  of  the  perfidious  wretches  were 
coming  down  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Ontario  with  evil 
intetit.  La  Salle,  with  a  party  of  nine  trusty  men,  sallied  out 
to  meet  them,  and  coming  upon  them  unawares,  killed  two 
and  captured  seven  of  tlie  number,  whom  he  imjjrisoned 
at  Frontenae,  to  await  punishment  by  a  civil  tribunal. 

One  of  tlie  chief  difficulties  attending  the  enterprises 
of  La  Salle,  and  of  other  early  French  explorers  in  the 
West,  was  to  secure  the  services  of  reliable  men.     The  wil- 


118 


La  Salle  and  Tonty. 


derness  was  in  a  nieaaurc  full  of  vagabond  hunters,  known 
as  roHirur.s  dea  hois,  who  had  fled  from  the  restraints  of 
eivilizatiou  to  lead  lives  of  license  and  lawlessness,  and 
whose  eonsequeiit  freedom  from  care  and  immunity  from 
punishment  for  crime  was  a  constant  allurement  to  draw 
others  from  legitimate  employment.  The  provincial  gov- 
ernment of  Canada  made  stringent  regulations  from  time 
to  time  for  the  sup])reKsion  of  this  growing  evil;  but  it  was 
easier  to  enact  HU(^h  decrees  than  to  enforce  them. 

On  the  10th  of  August,  having  completed  his  outfit, 
and  engaged  the  services  of  a  lieuteiumt  named  La  Forrest, 
with  a  ('ompany  of  twenty-iive  new  men.  La  Salle  again 
set  out  from  his  seigniory  for  the  Illinois  country,  to  "suc- 
cor the  forlorn  hope  under  To!ity."  Taking  the  most  di- 
rect route,  he  passed  uj)  the  river  llund)er  or  Trent,  crossed 
Lake  Simcoe,  descended  the  Severn  to  the.  Georgian  Bay 
of  Lake  Huron,  followed  its  rugged  eastern  coast  to  the 
Manitoulin  Islands,  and  thence  moved  westward  to  the 
Frencli  post  on  the  straits  of  Mackinac.  Poinding  it  dif- 
ticult  to  replenisli  his  stock  of  provisions  there  on  account 
of  the  enmity  and  jealousy  of  the  French  traders,  and  not 
wishing  to  be  delayed,  he  pressed  on  u^  Lake  Michigan 
with  twelve  men  and  four  canoes,  leavii  g  La  Forrest  and 
the  rest  of  the  force  to  follow  so  soon  as  they  could  pro- 
cure the  needed  supplies.  On  Noveml)er  28th,  the  advance 
party  under  La  Salle  drew  their  boats  ashore  on  the  sandy 
beach  close  to  the  v/recked  fort  of  Miami.  Here,  for  the 
purpose  of  facilitating  his  progress,  he  left  the  bulk  of 
his  stores  in  charge  of  five  men,  and  continued  his  journey 
with  the  remaining  seven.  Ascending  the  river  St.  Joseph 
to  the  portage,  he  thence  crossed  to  the  Kankakee,  and 
rapidly  descended  its  channel  to  the  Illinois. 

After  entering  the  latter  stream,  our  voyagers  found 
the  adjacent  prairies  dotted  over  with  fat  buffaloes,  and  be- 
ing in  want  of  fresh  meat,  they  put  to  shore  and  soon  shot 
a  dozen  or  more  of  these  favorite  animals,  the  flesh  of  which 
they  cut  into  thin  strips  and  dried  in  the  sun  for  future  use. 
Resuming  their  canoes  and  passing  the  Rock,  which 
La  Salle  had  directed  Tonty  to  occupy,  they  saw  no  sign 


La  Salle's  Second  Expedition. 


119 


there  of  any  fortification,  and  }i(5arfl  no  tidings  of  that 
trusted  oiRcer.  Approaohinj^:  tlio  ^^reat  town  of  tlie  lUinoiH 
nation,  a  scene  of  havoc  and  ruin  was  proHentod  to  their 
aHtonished  night.  A  for(;e  of  five  liundnjd  Inxjuoin  war- 
rioPH  liad  then  recently  invaded  tiieweHtern  country,  driven 
away  the  IllinoiH,  sacked  their  town,  cut  <lown  their  grow- 
ing corn,  and  rifled  tlieir  corn  pitH.  Moreover,  th('y  had 
desi>oiled  the  nepulchers  of  the  village  dead,*  Hcattered 
their  hones  over  the  adjoining  [)lain,  an<l  stuck  the  skulls 
ill  (hM'ision  on  the  cliarred  poles  of  the  hurnt  lodges. 

Having  carefully  in8i>ected  tlie  scene  of  these  acts  of 
savage  harl)arity  and  desecration, to  ascertain  whether  Tonty 
and  his  hand  had  fallen  victims  to  the  vengeance  of  the  in- 
va(ierK,  La  Salle  stationed  three  of  liis  men  here  in  conceal- 
ment to  keep  a  close  watch,  while  lie  continued  with  the 
other  four  to  descend  the  river.  At  ditterent  points  on  the 
w«y,  he  dis(^overed  the  deserted  caim)s  of  the  opposing 
Indian  forces,  who  had  move<l  southward  in  compact 
hodies  on  hoth  sides  of  the  stream.  Passing  on  through 
Peoria  Lake,  and  coming  to  Foi't  Creve-coeur,  he  found  it 
dismantled,  hut  his  unfinished  hoat  was  still  on  the  stocks 
and  hut  little  injiired.  Some  distanc^e  farther  down,  and  a 
little  way  from  ihe  river,  his  eyes  were  met  hy  the  revolt- 
ing spectacle  of  the  half-charred  bodies  of  some  Indian 
women  and  children,  who  had  been  <n'uelly  burned  at  the 
stake  by  the  Iro(|Uois.  Still  discerning  no  traces  of  his 
lost  men.  La  Salle  went  on  to  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois, 
where  for  tlie  first  time,  perhaps,  he  beheld  that  great  and 
mysterious  river,  which  he  had  long  desired  to  trace  to  its 
unknown  embouchure  in  the  sea.  It  is  said  that  those 
who  were  with  him  proposed  to  proceed  without  delay 
u|)on  the  projected  voyage;  but  the  prudent  leader,  having 
his  men  and  resources  dispersed,  and  being  uneasy  about 
the  fate  of  Tonty,  was  compelled  to  wait  a  more  propitious 
op[)ortunity.  -   '-■■-     ,. .  -  —  .-- -^  -  . 

*According  to  the  Jesuit  Father  Rasles,  the  custom  of  the  Illinois 
was  not  to  bury  their  dead,  but  to  wrap  them  in  skins,  and  expose  them 
on  scaffolds,  or  attach  them  by  the  head  and  feet  to  the  boughs  of  trees. 
But  it  appears  that  this  practice  was  not  universal  among  them. 


120 


L((  Salle  and  Tovfy. 


Returninij  expeditiously  up  tlie  Illinois,  he  rejoined 
tlie  three  men  who  had  heen  left  in  hi<ling  near  the  ruined 
town,  and,  after  jiroeuriui;:  some  half-burnt  maize  from  the 
pillaged  granaries,  tlie  united  [»arty  re-entered  their  canoes 
and  j)addled  u}»  the  river.  When  they  reached  the  forks, 
and  had  gone  a  short  distance  up  the  Kankakee  branch, 
they  discovered  on  the  bank  a  hut,  containing  a  stick  of 
wood  that  liad  been  recently  sawed,  which  was  mistaken 
for  an  indication  that  Tonty  and  company  liad  passed  tliis 
way.  Quitting  the  stream  and  concealing  tlieir  canoes 
near  this  point.  La  Salle  and  his  party  uiade  their  way 
slowly,  on  foot,  tlirough  blinding  snow  storms,  to  Fort 
Miami,  wliitlier  tliey  arrived  late  in  January,  1681.*  Here 
the  weather-worn  and  exhausted  travelers  were  warmly 
welcomed  by  La  Forrest  and  liis  men,  who,  during  the 
absence  of  tlie  chief,  had  repaired  the  fort,  cleared  some 
land  on  which  to  raiee  a  crop,  and  prepared  material  for  a 
new  vessel  on  the  lake. 


Leaving  La  Sallewithinthe  wooden  walls  of  Fort  Miami, 
to  recuperate  his  energies  and  lay  new  plans  for  the  un- 
promising future,  we  must  now^  go  back  and  relate  the 
thrilling  adventures  of  the  Sieur  de  Tonty  and  his  com- 
panions. 

As  before  stated,  he  had  been  left  in  command  of  Fort 
Creve-coeur  in  March,  1680,  with  a  garrison  of  fifteen  men. 
Two-thirds  of  these  were  worthless  knaves,  who  disliked 
La  Salle,  took  no  interest  in  his  important  enterprise,  and 
were  ripe  for  revolt  whenever  the  occasion  ottered. 
His  departure  for  the  East,  therefore,  was  the  sign*-  lor 
the  open  manifestation  of  their  disaffection.  A  mon:h  or 
more  afterward,  when  the  two  men  whom  the  chief  had 


*  During  this  retrograde  journey,  the  great  comet  of  ]680-'81  appeared 
nightly  in  the  heavens,  with  its  brilliant  and  appalling  train,  covering 
an  arc  of  from  sixty  to  ninety  degrees.  According  to  Mr.  Parkman,  La 
Salle,  in  his  correspondence,  coolly  referred  to  the  comet  as  "an  object 
of  scientific  curiosity ;"  whereas  Increase  Mather,  the  eminent  Puritan 
divine  of  New  P^ngland,  spok(!  of  it  as  "  fraught  with  terrific  portent  to 
the  nations  of  the  earth." 


Toniy  Lctft  in  Command  at  CrSiJc-ccnur. 


121 


sent  from  Fort  Miami,  with  a  letter  to  Tonty,  arrived  at 
Creve-coeur,  they  hrought  with  them  depressing  intelli- 
gence. They  told  the  already  demoralized  garriwon,  "  that 
the  Griffin  was  bat;  that  Fort  Frontenac  was  in  the  hands 
of  La  Salle's  creditors,  and  tliat  he  was  without  means  to 
pay  those  in  his  employ."  The  belief  now  pervading  the 
garrison  tl)at  they  would  not  be  paid  excited  a  spirit  of 
mutiny  and  mischief  among  them,  wliich  shortly  found 
the  desired  opportunity  to  ripen  into  action.  No  sooner 
had  Tonty,  with  a  few  of  the  men.  departed'  tq  the  Illinois 
River  to  forti+'y  the  "liock,"  as  ordered  by  his  chief,  than 
those  left  behind  proceeded  to  demolish  the  fort,  and  then 
fled,  with  such  arms,  ammunition  and  goods,  as  they  could 
carry  away.  Two  only  of  tlie  number  remained  faithful, 
one  of  whom  hastened  to  apprise  Tonty  of  what  had  hap- 
pened. Alarmed  at  this  revolt  and  desertion,  he  dis- 
patched four  men,  by  two  different  routes,  to  carry  the 
unwelcome  news  to  La  Salle,  two  of  wliom.  as  we  have 
fieen,  reached  their  destination. 

Tlie  Sieur  de  Tonty  now  had  with  him  only  five  white 
men,  namely :  the  young  and  spirited  Francois  de  Boisron- 
det,  L'Esperance  (servant  of  La  Salle),  a  Parisian  youth 
named  Etienne  Renault,  and  the  two  friars,  Ribourde  and 
Membrc.  With  a  part  of  this  little  band,  the  lieutenant 
repaired  to  tlie  deserted  fort,  collected  the  tools,  forge,  etc., 
which  had  not  been  molested,  and  conveyed  them  up  the 
river  to  the  great  town  of  the  Illinois,  where  he  tempora- 
rily fixed  his  quarters.  But,  as  the  sequel  showed,  it  would 
have  been  better  if  the  forge  and  tools  had  been  left  where 
they  were.  For  tlie  next  five  months  the  Frenchmen, 
while  anxiously  waiting  the  return  of  their  leader,  enjoyed 
the  dubious  hospitality  of  the  savages.  During  this  time 
Tonty  endeavored  to  make  himself  useful  by  teaching 
them  the  construction  of  rude  fortifications  and  the  simpler 
arts  of  military  strategy,  and  the  friars  labored  faithfully 
to  instruct  them  in  the  rudiments  of  Christianity. 

In  this  way  a  fairly  good  understanding  was  maintained 
with  the  natives  until  about  the  first  of  September,  when 
it  was  announced  that  an  array  of  five  hundred  Iroquois 


HDhtai 


122 


La  Salle  and  Tonty.  , 


and  one  hundred  Miamis  waa  swiftly  marching  into  the 
country.  It  appears  that  a  Shawnee  Indian,  on  hia  way 
home  from  a  vioit  to  the  Illinois,  had  tirst  discovered  the 
approach  of  the  invaders,  ar.d  returned  to  warn  his  friends 
of  their  impending  danger.  This  intelligence  created 
the  utmost  consternation  among  the  inhabitants  of  the 
town;  and  Tonty,  \yho  had  all  along  been  an  object  of 
suspicion,  was  soon  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  excited  war- 
riors, who  brandished  their  weapons  and  accused  him  of 
being  an  emissary  of  the  enemy.  Owing  to  his  imperfect 
knowledge  of  the  Illinois  language,  he  was  unable  to  ex- 
plain the  situation  to  their  satisfaction,  and  in  their  fury 
they  seized  upon  the  forge  and  in)plcme!;cs,  brought 
thither  from  Creve-coeur  and  threw  them  into  the  river. 
Doubting  their  ability  to  successfully  defend  themselves, 
since  most  of  their  young  men  were  away  on  the  war- 
path, they  hurriedly  sent  their  sf^uaws  and  papooses  down 
the  river  to  an  island,  wViere  they  were  left  in  charge  of 
sixty  old  warriors.  The  remair.ing  braves,  to  the  number 
of  about  four  hundred,  now  spent  the  night  in  preparing 
themselves  for  battle,  painting  their  taces  and  greasing 
their  ])odie8.  Early  the  next  day  the  scouts,  whom  they 
had  previously  sent  out,  returned  and  reported  the  Iro(pioi« 
as  near  al  hand,  and  armed  with  guns  aiul  swords  obtained 
from  the  English.  They  furtlier  reported  that  they  had 
seen  a  cliief  with  the  enemy  arrayed  in  the  Erench  dress, 
and  signified  their  belief  that  it  was  La  Salle.  This 
turned  out  to  ])e  simply  an  Iroquois  warrior,  wearing  a 
European  hat  and  waistcoat,  yet  it  s-erved  to  again  nuiko 
Tonty  an  object  of  dark  suspicion.  J3eing  surroundetl  by 
a  throng  of  infuriated  savages,  who  threatened  his  life,  he 
only  saved  himself  from  their  uplifted  weapons  by  promis- 
ing that  he  and  his  men  would  go  out  with  them  to  meet 
the  common  foe.  Since  no  time  was  to  be  lost,  the  whole 
available  force  of  the  Illinois  now  liurried  across  the  river 
and  took  [)osition  on  the  plain  beyond,  just  as  the  emnny 
stealthily  emerged  from  the  tind)er  that  skirted  the  banks 
of  the  Big  Vermillion.  Thus  the  two  Indian  armies  soon 
confronted  each  otlier,  and,  simultaneously  raisiug  tiie  war- 


Tonty's  Adventures  with  the  Iroquois. 


123 


whoop,  began  to  exchange  shots  and  arrows,  jumping  from 
side  to  side  to  elude  each  other's  shots.  At  this  crisis,  the 
Sieur  de  Tonty,  knowing  the  Illinois  warriors  to  be  cow- 
ards, and  seeing  that  they  were  outnumberetl  and  likely  to 
bo  defeated,  determined  to  make  an  effort  at  negotiation, 
and  thus  stay  the  unequal  fight.  Relying  on  the  treaty  of 
peace  then  subsisting  between  the  Iro([Uois  nation  and  the 
French,  he  laid  aside  his  gun  for  a  necklace  of  wami)um 
and  started,  at  the  imminent  risk  of  his  life,  to  meet  the  bel- 
ligerent invaders.  An  Illinois  Indian  accompanied  him 
part  of  the  way,  and  they  separated  themselves  from  the 
main  body  of  the  Illinois,  who  were  actively  skirmishing 
with  the  enemy. 

"When  I  was  within  gun-shot,"  writes  Tonty,  "  the 
Iroquois  shot  at  us,  seized  me,  took  the  necklace  from  my 
hand,  and  one  of  them  plunged  a  knife  into  my  bi'cast, 
wounding  a  rib  neiir  the  heart. •'"  However,  having  recog- 
iii/ed  me,  they  carried  me  into  the  midst  of  their  camp,  and 
asked  me  what  I  came  for.  I  gave  them  to  understand  that 
the  Illinois  were  under  the  protection  of  the  King  of  France 
and  the  governor  of  the  country,  ami  that  I  was  surprised 
that  they  wished  to  break  with  the  French  and  not  con- 
tinue t*t  peace.  All  this  time  skirmishing  war  going  on, 
on  both  sides,  and  a  warrior  came  to  give  notice  that  their 
Ic'i't  wing  was  giving  away,  and  that  they  had  ivcognized 
some  Frenchmen  amongthe  Illinois,  who  shot  at  them.  On 
(hearing)  this  they  were  greatly  irritated  at  me,  and  held 
a  council  on  what  they  should  do  with  me.  There  was  a 
man  l)ehind  me  witn  a  knife  in  his  hand,  'vho  every  now 
and  then  lifted  my  hair.  They  were  divided  in  opinion. 
Ti'gantouki,  chief  of  the  Tsonnonthouans,  desired  to  have 
me  burnt.  Agoasto,  chief  of  the  Onnontagues,|-  wished  to 
liave  me  set  at  liberty,  as  a  friend  of  M.  de  la  Salle,  and  lie 
tarried  his  point.  They  agreed  tluit,  iii  order  to  deceive 
'lit'  lllin()is,  they  should  give  me  a  mudvlaee  of  porcelain 
lieuds  to  prove  that  they  also  were  children  of  the  gov- 


•Membre  tellHusthat  "  with  his  swarthy  compk'xiun  ami  luill-sav- 
ai^e  (IreHs,  they  took  hiiu  (Tonty)  for  uu  lutiiaii." 
^  Onoudajftw.  ^ 


124 


La  Salle  and  Tonty. 


ernor,  and  ought  to  unite  and  make  a  good  peace.  They 
sent  nie  to  deliver  this  message  to  the  Illinois.  I  had  much 
difficulty  in  reaching  them,  on  account  of  the  blood  I  had 
lost.  On  my  way  I  met  the  Fat'iers  Gabriel  de  Ribourde 
and  Zenobe  Membre,  who  were  coming  to  look  after  nie. 
They  exjtressed  great  joy  that  these  barbarians  had  not  put 
me  to  death.  We  went  together  to  the  Illinois,  to  whom  1 
reported  the  sentiments  of  the  Iroquois  toward  them,  adding, 
however,  that  they  must  not  altogether  trust  them."* 

Shortly  afterward  the  Illinois  returned  to  their  village, 
and  many  of  the  Iroquois,  under  different  pretexts,  also 
crossed  the  river  and  disposed  themselves  in  menacing 
groups  about  the  place.  These  hostile  demonstrations,  be- 
ing repeated  the  next  day,  caused  the  more  timid  Illinois 
to  seek  safety  in  flight.  Accordingly,  at  nightfall,  tliey 
set  fire  to  their  lodges,  .;(vd  'ile  the  attention  of  tlie 
enemy  was  diverted  by  tlie  flame  and  smoke  of  the  burn- 
ing, they  secretly  betook  themselves  to  their  canoes,  and 
dropped  down  the  river  to  join  their  women  and  children. 
Tonty  and  his  companions  remained  beliind  to  deal  as  best 
they  might  with  the  faitbless  Iroquois.  The  latter  now 
took  possession  of  the  village,  and  intrenched  tliemselves 
tlierein. 

Two  days  later,  when  the  Iroquois  observed  the  scouts 
of  the  Illinois  on  the  neighboring  hills,  they  thouglit  that 
Tonty  had  somr  communication  with  them,  and  obliged 
him  and  his  J)arty  to  remove  from  the'  i;bin  into  the  fort, 
or  redoubt,  of  the  former.  Tliey  th<  ;  .uested  Tonty  to 
repair  to  the  Illinois,  and  induce  \\\o\i-  ,  .  ake  a  treaty  of 
paciflcation,  for  their  vaunted  courage  haJ  subsided.  He 
accordingly  proceeded,  vvitli  Father  Zenobe  and  a  hostage, 
to  the  camp  of  the  Illinois.  They  gladly  accepted  the 
peace  proj)Osal,  and  sent  a  hostage  in  return  to  the  IroquoiB. 
But  the  in<!xperienced  Illinois  hostage  soon  disclosed  to  hie 
cunning  interviewers  the  numerical  weakness  of  his  peo^de, 


*See  M.  do  Tonty's  Mmnnir  of  lOUI?,  rovcrinp  t,h(>  {leriod  from  l(i78  to 
10t)l.  Friar  Meinbre,  in  Iuh  act'ouut  of  i\\\s  exciting  cpiHuck',  coiivt-yH 
the  idea  tliat  he  himself  wert  with  Tonty  into  the  Iroqnoie  camp,  but 
this  Ih  not  nuHtained  l>v  Tontv'H  Narrative.  •  ■ 


Tontifs  Adventures  with  the  Iroquois. 


125 


and  offered  to  give  them,  if  they  wished  for  peace,  the 
beaver  skins  and  some  skives  whicih  they  had.  The  Iro- 
(^uois  chiefs  were  now  enraged  at  the  Sieur  de  Tonty,  and 
loaded  him  with  reproaches  for  having  told  them  that  the 
Illinois  had  twelve  hundred  warriors,  and  tliat  tliere  were 
sixty  Frenchmen  at  the  village.  "  I  had  ninch  difliculty," 
writes  Tonty,  "  in  getting  out  of  the  scrape." 

However,  on  the  next  day,  a  nominal  peace  was  con- 
cluded between  the  representatives  of  the  two  nations,  and 
the  Iroquois  made  some  presents  of  necklaces  and  mer- 
chandise to  the  Illinois.  But,  in  utter  disregard  of  the 
treaty,  the  Iroquois  immediately  began  to  construct  canoes 
of  elm  bark,  with  which  to  descend  the  river  and  fall  upon 
the  Illinois.  In  the  meantime  Tonty  apprised  tlie  latter  of 
their  danger,  and  advised  them  to  retire  to  some  distant 
nation. 

Shortly  after  these  events  (on  the  10th  of  September), 
Tonty  and  Father  Membre  were  summoned  to  attend  a  coun- 
cil of  the  Irocpiois.  It  seems  that  they  still  entertained  a 
wholesome  fear  of  Governor  Frontenac,  under  whose  piotee- 
tion  the  Illinois  were,  and  did  not  want  to  renew  their  war 
upon  the  latter  in  presenceof  the  Frenchmen.  Theirpurpose, 
therefore,  was  to  induce  the  French  to  leave  the  country. 
Accordingly,  when  Tonty  and  Membre  appeared  at  the 
council,  six  parcels  of  beaver  skins  were  brought  into  their 
presence.  And  the  Iroquois  spokesman,  addressing  Tonty, 
said,  that  the  first  two  packages  were  to  inform  M.  (ie 
Frontenac  tl  at  they  would  not  eat  his  children,  and  that 
ho  should  not  be  angry  at  what  they  iiad  done;  the  third 
was  a  plaster  to  heal  the  wounds  of  Tonty  ;  the  fourth  was 
oil  to  anoint  him  and  Membre,  that  they  might  not  be  fa- 
tisjued  in  traveling  ;  the  fifth  proclaimed  tluit  the  sun  was 
bright;  and  the  sixth,  and  lust,  required  them  to  depart  for 
the  Frendi  settlements.'*' 

These  proffered  gifts  were  scornfull^y  rejected  by  Tonty, 
who,  in  imitation  of  tlie  Iinllan  mode  of  expressing  coii- 
tenipt,  indignantly  kicked  them  away,  and  thus  rebuked 


'Tonty'8  Memoir  of  lOrS. 


126 


La  Salle  and  Tonty. 


the  Bavages  for  their  insolence  and  perfidy.  The  council 
ended  in  recrimination  and  disorder,  and  on  the  next  day 
the  exasperated  chiefs  ordered  the  Frenchmen  to  quit  the 
country  forthwith.  The  Sieur  de  Tonty  had  now,  at  the 
repeated  risk  of  his  life,  tried  every  expedient  to  save  the 
Illinois  from  the  fury  of  the  invaders  of  their  soil  and 
homes,  and  since  by  remaining  longer  he  would  imperil  tjie 
lives  of  his  own  men,  he  made  a  virtue  of  necessity,  and 
speedily  departed. 

On  the  morning  of  the  11th,  he  and  liin  five  compan- 
ions embarked  in  a  wretched  bark  canoe,  with  but  scanty 
supplies,  and  made  haste  up  the  river.  The  same  day, 
about  noon,  the  canoe  broke,  and  they  landed  to  repair  it 
and  dry  their  peltry.  While  some,  of  the  men  were  thus 
employed,  Father  Ribourde  imprudently  retired  into  a!i  ad- 
jacent grove  for  the  purpose  of  saying  his  breviary.  As  he 
did  not  return  when  expected,  Tonty  became  alarmed  tor 
his  safety,  and  started  out  with  a  companion  to  hunt  him. 
Witli  the  quick  eyes  of  woodmen,  they  soon  discovered  the 
tracks  of  Indians,  by  whom  it  was  thought  the  friar  had  been 
seized,  and  they  fired  guns  to  direct  his  return,  if  still  alive. 
Not  seeing  or  hearing  any  thing  of  him  that  afternoon,  in 
the  evening  they  built  fires  along  the  river  bank,  and  then 
withdrew  to  the  opposite  shore,  to  observe  who  might  :i|i- 
proach  thorn.  Toward  midnight  several  Indians  were  seen 
flitting  about  the  fires,  and  then  vanished  in  the  darkness. 
It  was  afterward  learned  that  they  belonged  to  a  band  ot 
young  Kicdvapoo  warriors,  who  had  been  hovering  for  some 
days  about  the  Iroquois  camp  in  (piest  of  scalps.  By  chance, 
it  would  seem,  they  had  fallen  in  with  the  innocent  old 
friar,  whom  they  killed  and  scalped,  liiding  his  body  in  a 
sink,  ai  I  carrying  away  his  breviary,  which  subsequontly 
came  into  the  hands  of  one  of  the  Jesuit  fathers.  Thus 
perished  l)y  the  war-club  of  the  merciless  savage,  in  the 
sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age,  the  Recollet  father,  Gabriel  de  hi 
llibourde.  lie  was  the  0!ily  son  and  heir  of  a  gentlenum  of 
Burgundy,  and  had  not  oidy  renounced  his  inheritane" 
and  the  world,  to  enroll  irnnself  among  the  lowly  children 
of  St.  Francis,  but  even  when  advanced  in  life  and  honored 


Death  of  Father  Ribourde. 


127 


with  the  first  dignities  of  his  order, had  sought  (in  1670)  the 
new  and  toilsome  mission  of  Canada.* 

While  this  painful  tragedy  was  being  enacted,  the 
Iroquois  invaders,  unrestrained  by  the  presence  of  French- 
men, were  brutally  desecrating  the  sepulchers  of  the  dead 
at  the  great  town  of  the  Illinois,  and  preparing  to  furtlier 
wreak  their  vengeance  upon  the  living.  Starting  down 
the  river  in  pursuit  of  the  retreating  Illinois,  they  steadily 
followed  them  day  after  day  ;  but  as  both  of  the  opposing 
armies  moved  in  close  array,  neither  was  able  to  gain  any 
material  advantage  over  the  other.  At  length,  the  Iroquois 
chiefs  attained  by  strategy  what  their  vaunted  prowess  and 
arms  had  failed  to  achieve.  They  publicly  gave  out  that 
their  object  was  not  to  destroy  the  Illinois,  but  simply  to 
drive  them  frorh  the  country.  Deceived  by  this  artifice, 
the  Illinois  separated,  some  of  them  descending  the  Missis- 
hipjii  River,  and  others  fleeing  across  and  beyond  it.  But 
the  Tamaroas  tribe,  more  stupid  or  credulous  than  the  rest, 
lingered  at  their  village,  not  far  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Illinois,  until  they  were  suddenly  attacked  by  a  superior 
force  of  th(?  enemy.  The  pusillanimous  men  are  said  to 
have  fle  ^  at  the  first  onset,  leaving  their  defenseless  women 
and  children,  numbering  several  hundred,  to  tall  into  the 
hands  of  the  merciless  foe.  Then  followed  those  savage 
hiiti'heries  and  burnings,  the  horrible  evidences  of  which 
were  seen  by  La  Salle  only  a  few  weeks  afterward.  Hav- 
ing'; scattered  the  timorous  Illinois  in  every  direction,  and 
HRtiated  their  ;'jreed  for  carnage,  the  rapacious  horde  of 
Ircxiuois  now  set  ofi'  on  a  forced  march  to  their  own  coun- 
try, taking  with  them  a  nund)er  of  ca[)tive  squaws  and 
papooses,  whom  they  had  reserved  to  grace  their  triumph 
on  returning  to  their  eastern  homes. 

After  the  melancholy  end  of  Father  Kibourde,  and  the 
iiu'tlectual  search  for  his  body,  Tonty  and  his  men  resumed 
their  toilsome  ascent  of  the  Illinois  River.  On  reaching 
the  forks  of  that  stream,  they  neglected  to  leave  there  any 


tSheji'e  Hist,  of  the  Diacov.  uucl  Explo.  of  the  Miss.  Viil.,  page  159^ 


nok. 


128 


■Jm  Salle  and  Tonty. 


mark  or  trace  indicating  their  course,  which  might  have 
served  as  a  guide  to  La  Salle,  and  saved  him  no  little 
trouble.  But  evidently  afraid  of  encountering  some  hos- 
tile band  of  Indians,  they  turned  up  the  Des  Plaines^^ 
branch  of  the  Illinois,  and  made  their  way  by  short  jour- 
neys to  Lake  Michigan.  Their  aim  was  to  find  an  asylum 
among  the  friendly  Pottawatomies.  After  coasting  the 
lake  shore  for  a  considerable  distance,  their  canoe  became 
disabled,  and  their  provisions  failed  them.  Leaving  one 
man  in  charge  of  their  canoe  and  other  articles,  the  Sieur 
de  Tonty  and  the  rest  of  the  party  set  oft  by  land  for  the 
nearest  Pottawatomie  village,  w^hlch  lay  some  twenty  leagues 
to  the  north.  But  as  Tonty  had  a  fever  at  the  time,  and  \m 
limbs  were  swollen,  he  did  not  reach  the  village  until  the 
llth  of  Novemb'Cr.  During  this  hard  journey  the  travelera 
lived  on  v.ild  garlic,  which  they  grubbed  from  under  the 
snow,  and  when  they  came  to  the  village  they  found  it  de- 
serted, for  the  Indians  had  gone  to  their  winter  quarters. 
They,  however,  discovered  a  little  maize  and  some  frozen 
gourds,  with  wliich  to  appease  their  hunger. 

Returning  to  the  lake  shore,  the  Frenchmen  re-em- 
barked and  continued  their  voyage.  Being  again  obliged 
to  land,  they  found  a  fresh  trail,  and,  following  it,  made  a 
portage  of  a  league  across  the  peninsula  to  Greeti  Bay. 
Entering  an  estuary  of  |the  bay,  called  Sturgeon  Cove,  they 
appear  to  have  ascended  it  several  leagues,  when  they  were 
stopped  by  a  high  wind,  which  continued  for  a  week.  Dur- 
ing this  time  they  consumed  all  their  little  stock  of  provis- 
ions, and  were  in  despair  of  being  able  to  overtake  the 
savages.  Their  shoes  having  worn  out,  they  now  made 
coverings  for  their  feet  of  the  late  Father  Gabriel's  cloak. 
The  stream  liad  meantime  frozen  up,  so  that  they  could  not 
proceed  farther  in  their  canoe.  When  they  v:c'^e  preparing 
to  set  out  on  foot,  two  Ottawa  Indians  chanced  lo  arrive  at 
their  camp,  and  (jojvducted  them  to  a  village  of  the  Potta- 
watomies. Here  the  tarnished  travelers  met  a  kind  recep- 
tion, and  had  their  wants  liberally  supplied. 


*  Called  by  the  IndianH  the  Checagou. 


Tonh/s  Flight  to  G-reen  Bay. 


129 


According  to  ;lie  narrative  of  Father  Monibre,  Onang- 
hme,  the  head  chief  of  the  Pottawatoniies,  was  a  great  ad- 
mirer of  the  French,  whom  he  had  before  befriended.  And 
he  was  accustomed  to  say  that  "he  knew  of  only  three  great 
esptains,  Frontenac,  La  Salle,  and  himself."^' 

After  recruiting  somewhat  from  the  extreme  hardships 
of  the  journey,  Father  Membre  went  to  spend  the  winter 
at  the  mission  house  of  the  Jesuits  on  Green  Bay,  while 
Tonty  and  the  other  four  members  of  tlie  party  retrained 
with  the  Pottawatoniies.  In  the  following  spring,  they  all 
proceeded  to  old  Mackinac,  and  there  awaited  the  arrival  of 
thei    leader. 


*  Both  Tonty  and  Membre  have  left  accounts  of  this  journey  of  re- 
treat from  the  Illinois  to  the  Pottawatoiuies.  but,  for  the  must  part,  we 
have  followed  the  relation  of  the  former. 

0 


130 


La  Salle' s' Exploits  Continued. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


1H81-1683. 


LA  SALLE  S  EXPLOITS  CONTINUED. 


Reverting  to  La  Salle,  wiio  was  left  at  Fort  Miami  to 
recruit  hifi  powers  and  resources,  we  again  resume  the  ac- 
count of  his  stii'ritig  career.  During  the  winter  of  1080- 
81,  w}iile  his  fortunes  seemed  at  the  lowest  ebb,  he  was 
never  more  active,  or  more  determined  upon  achieving 
ultimate  success.  Believing  that  the  then  recent  foray 
of  the  Iroquois  into  the  country  of  the  Illinois,  was 
mainly  for  the  purpose  of  extending  their  territorial  pos- 
sessions, whence  to  draw  fresh  supplies  of  furs,  and  that 
those  fierce  warriors  were  also  being  used  by  his  white  ad- 
versaries to  put  an  end  to  his  own  operations  in  this  wide 
and  attractive  region,  he  evolved  from  his  busy  brain  a 
plan  to  counteract  their  designs.  His  scheme  was  to  unite 
all  the  different  and  ofte!i  warring  tribes  of  the  West  into 
a  defensive  league;  to  colonize  such  of  them  as  would  con- 
sent about  a  fort  to  be  erected  and  maintained  by  him  on 
the  Illinois  Kiver,  and  thus  oppose  an  effectual  barrier  to 
the  further  incursions  of  the  Iroquois  and  their  adherents. 
This  extensive  plan  exemplifies  La  Salle's  fertility  of  re- 
source in  emergency,  and  its  success  in  execution  was  an- 
swerable to  his  ex})ectation8. 

After  the  close  of  the  bloody  and  desolating  wai-  of 
Philip,  of  Pokanoket,  with  the  New  England  colonists,  in 
1676,  some  of  his  vanquished  allies  quitted  their  eastern 
homes,  and  sought  a  refuge  in  the  forests  on  the  south- 
eastern borders  of  Lake  Micliigan.  These  were  mostly 
Abenakis  and  Mohegans,  or  Mohicans — the  latter  tribe 
having  furnished  the  reliable  hunter  and  servant,  w}\o  bad 
already  rendered  such  useful  service  to  La  Salle.  It  was  to 
these  snuUl   bands  of  Eastern  exiles  tliat  our  explorer  first 


Confers  with  the  Foxes  and  the  Illinois. 


131 


addressed  liiiiiHclf  in  the  trial  of  ITih  new  ex[)edient  for  tlie 
furtherance  of  his  general    plans.      lie  found    them  very 
wiUing  to  Join  their  h)t  witli   his   in   any  undertaking  ne 
might  propose,  asking  only  the  privilege  of  calling  him 
their  chief.     His  next  move  was  to  effect  a  reconciliation 
betwec!!   the   Miamis  a!ul  Illitiois,  who,    thongli    kindred 
tribes,  had  been  long  estranged.     Desiring  to  first  confer 
with  the  Illinois,  many  of  whom  liad   returned  since  the 
evacuation  of  their  country  by  the  Iroquois,  La  Salle  set 
out  with  a  party  from   Kort  Miami  on  a  journey  thither. 
On    entering    the    prairies,    which    were    still    white    with 
snow,  he  and  several  of  the  men  became  snow-blind,  so  that 
they  were  obliged  to  go  into  <!amp  on  the  edge  of  a  grove 
until  they  could  recover  their  sight.    Resuming  Ins  journey, 
hemetwith  a  band  of  the  Outagamies  (Foxes),  whose  chiefs 
he  drew  over  to  his  interest  by  means  of  ])resents.     From 
them  it  v/as  learned  that  Tonty  and  his  i)arty  were  safe 
among  the   Pottawatomies,  and  that  Hennepin  had  passed 
through  their  country  (Wisconsin)  on  his  way  to  Canada. 
This  was  welcome  intelligence  to  La  Salle,  who,  for  several 
months,  had  been  very  k    xious  about  their  safety.     Fol- 
lowing down  the   Kankakee  River,  he  fell  in  with  a  ])arty 
of  the  Illinois,  who  were  stalking  the  prairies  in  quest  of 
game,  and  who  related  to  him  the  unhap[)y  occurrences  of 
the  [)receding  year.     La  Salle  ex{>ressed  his  regret  at  wliat 
had  happened,  and  advised  them  to  form  an  alliance  with 
the  Miamis,  in  order  to  prevent  the  recurreiu^e  of  like  dis- 
asters in  the  future.     He  told   them  that  he  and  his  men 
would  come  back  to  reside  among  them,  furnish  them  with 
Kiv-aruis  and  goods,  and  help  them  in  repelling  the  hostile 
incursions  of  the  Iroquois.     Well  {)leased  witli  this  pro})0- 
sition,  they  gave  him  some  maize,  and  promised  to  confer 
with  other  members  of  their  trd)e  and  report  to  him  the  re- 
sult. 

Returning  now  to  Fort  Miami,  La  Salle  sent  La  For- 
I'cst  down  Lake  Michigan  to  MackiiuK^  whither  it  was  ex- 
IK'cted  that  Tonty  would  go,  and  where  both  Avere  to  stay 
until  he  shouhl  follow  them.  It  still  renuiined  for  liim  to 
confer  with   tlie   Miamis,  and   lie  accordingly  started  with 


132 


La  Salle's  Exploits  Continued. 


ton  men  to  visit  their  principal  village,  sitnated  near  the 
poi'tage  between  the  St.  Joseph  and  Kankakee.  Here  he 
found  a  small  party  of  Iroquois  warriors,  who  had  for  some 
time  demeaned  themselves  with  great  insolence  toward  the 
villagers,  and  hadspoken  with  contempt  of  himself  and  men. 
On  being  informed  of  tills,  he  sternly  rebuked  them  for 
their  arrogance  and  calumnies,  and  such  was  the  fear  his 
presence  inspired  among  them  that  at  night  they  Hed  from 
the  village. 

"The  next  day  the  Miamis  were  gathered  in  council, 
and  La  Salle  made  known  to  them  tlie  objects  he  v/ished  to 
accomplish.  From  long  intercourse  with  the  Indians,  he 
had  become  an  expert  in  forest  diplomacy  and  eloquence, 
and  on  this  occasion  he  had  come  well  provided  with  presents 
to  give  efficacy  to  his  proct.edings.  He  began  his  address, 
which  consisted  of  metaphorical  allusions  to  the  dead,  by 
distributing  gifts  among  the  living.  Presenting  them  with 
cloth,  he  tohi  them  it  was  to  cover  their  dead ;  giving  them 
hatchets,  he  informed  them  that  they  were  to  build  a  scat- 
fold  in  their  honor ;  distributing  among  them  beads  and 
bells,  he  stated  they  were  to  decorate  their  persons.  The 
living,  while  appropriating  these  presents,  were  greatly 
pleased  at  the  compliments  paid  to  their  departed  friends, 
and  thus  placed  in  a  suitable  state  of  mind  for  that  which 
was  to  follow.  .  .  .  Lastly,  to  convince  them  of  the 
sincerity  of  his  intentions,  he  gave  them  six  guns,  a  num- 
ber of  hatchets,  and  (then)  threw  into  their  midst  a  huge 
pile  of  clothing,  causing  the  entire  assemblage  to  explode 
with  yelps  of  extravagant  delight.  After  this.  La  Salle  thus 
closed  his  htirangue : 

"'He  who  is  my  master,  and  the  master  of  all  this 
country,  is  a  mighty  chief,  feared  by  the  whole  world ;  but 
he  loves  peace,  and  his  words  are  for  good  alone.  He  is 
called  the  King  of  France,  and  is  the  mightiest  among  the 
chiefs  beyond  the  great  water.  His  goodness  reaches  even 
to  your  dead,  and  his  subjects  come  among  you  to  raiso 
them  up  to  life.  But  it  is  his  will  to  preserve  the  life  he  han 
given.  It  is  his  will  that  you  should  obey  his  laws,  and 
make   no  war  without  the  leave  of  Frontenac,  who  com- 


He  Negotiates  with  the  Miamia. 


183 


niands  in  his  name  at  Quebec,  and  wlio  loves  all  tlie  nations 
alike,  because  such  is  the  will  of  the  great  king.  You 
ought,  then,  to  live  at  ]>e.ace  with  your  neighbors,  and  above 
111!  with  the  Illinois.  You  have  had  cause  of  (nuirrel  with 
them;  but  their  defeat  has  avenged  ^ou.  Though  they  are 
still  strong,  they  wish  to  nuike  peace  with  you.  Be  con- 
tent with  the  glory  of  having  compelled  them  to  ask  for  it. 
A^ou  luive  an  interest  in  preserving  them,  since,  if  the  Iro- 
quois destroy  them,  they  will  next  destroy  yon.  Let  us  all 
obey  tlie  great  king,  and  live  in  peace  under  liis  protection. 
Be  of  my  mind,  and  use  these  guns  I  have  given  you,  not 
to  make  war,  but  only  to  hunt  and  to  defend  yourselves.'"  * 

ITaving  ended  his  mission  to  tlie  Miamis  nation.  La 
Salle  sent  two  of  his  men,  with  two  of  tlie  Abeiiakis,  to 
announce  the  result  to  the  Illinois,  in  order  to  ]>revent 
further  acts  of  hostility,  and  to  recall  tlie  dispersed  tribes. 
Moreover,  he  dispatched  men  with  presents  to  the  8haw- 
necs,  to  invite  them  to  come  and  join  the  Illinois  against 
the  Iroquois.  All  this  being  done  to  liis  satisfaction,  he  left 
Fort  Miami  on  the  22d  of  May,  1681,  and,  after  a  pleasant 
canoe  voyage,  arrived  at  the  post  of  Mackinac  about  the 
middle  of  June.  Here  he  had  the  happiness  of  meeting 
Tonty,  Father  Zenobe,  and  others  of  his  men,  from  whom 
he  had  been  separated  for  more  than  a  year.  "  The  Sieur 
(le  la  Salle  (says  Membre's  Narrative,  before  cited,)  re- 
lated to  us  all  his  hardshi|»s  and  voyages,  as  well  as  his 
misfortunes,  and  learned  from  us  as  many  regarding  him  ; 
yet  never  did  I  remark  in  him  the  least  alteration,  always 
maintaining  his  ordinary  coolness  and  self-possession.  Any 
one  but  he  would  have  renounced  and  abandoned  the  enter- 
prise ;  but,  far  from  that,  by  a  firmness  of  mind  and  an 
almost  unequaled  constancy,  I  saw  him  more  resolute  than 
ever  to  continue  his  work,  and  to  carry  out  his  discovery." 

Before  La  Salle  could  resume  and  push  forward  his 
great  enterprise  to  a  successful  issue,  it  was  necessary  for 
him  to  return  to  Canada,  collect  his  scattered  resources,  and 


*  Davidson  &  Stuve's  Hist,  of  111.,  let  ed.,  p.  {)3.    See  Relatiom  dea 
D<:coiircries,  coiupiUul  for  the  government  from  La  Salle's  letters. 


134 


La  Salle  and  his  Exploits  Continued. 


make  terms  with  hia  creditors.  Tlie  whole  party,  there- 
fore, embarked  for  Fort  Frontenac.  The  U)ng  and  watery 
way  was  measured  without  any  noteworthy  incident,  and 
by  the  end  of  July  our  untiring  chief  had  reached  Mon- 
treal, and  was  consulting  with  the  capitalists  and  merchants 
who  had  been  furnishing  him  wnth  money  and  goods.  His 
seigniory  of  Frontenac  was  already  mortgaged  for  a  large 
sum,  much  of  which  had  been  expended  in  profitless  ex- 
plorations ;  yet  by  surrendering  some  of  his  monopolies,  by 
the  aid  of  a  rich  relative  named  Plot,*  and  by  the  con- 
tinued favor  and  support  of  Governor  Frontenac,  he  found 
means  to  appease  liis  more  pressing  creditors,  and  obtained 
advances  for  another  respectable  outfit. 

The  season  was  well  advanced  before  La  Salle  could 
complete  his  preparations,  and  again  begin  to  move  througli 
the  great  lakes.     He  started  upon  this  third  and  crowning 

*-■  .' 

I 

*  In  order  to  secure  this  relative  from  loss  in  case  of  his  death,  La 
Salle  executed  ai  nistrument  in  the  nature  of  a  will,  of  which  the  fol- 
lowing is  a  cop 

[Will  of  La  Salle.] 

"  Robert  Cavelier,  Esq.,  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  seignior  and  governor  of 
Fort  Frontenac,  in  New  France,  considering  the  great  dangers  and  con- 
tinual perils  in  which  the  voyages  I  undertake  engage  me,  and  wishing 
to  acknowledge  as  much  as  I  am  able,  the  great  obligations  which  I  owe 
to  M.  Francois  Plet,  my  cousin,  for  the  signal  services  which  he  has  ren- 
dered me  in  my  most  pressing  necessities,  and  because  it  is  through  his 
assistance  that  T  have  preserved  to  this  time  Fort  Frontenac  against  the 
efforts  which  were  made  to  deprive  me  of  it,  I  have  given,  granted,  and 
transferred,  and  give,  grant,  and  transfer,  by  these  presents,  to  the  said 
M.  Plet,  in  case  of  my  death,  the  seigniory  and  property  of  the  ground 
and  limits  of  the  said  Fort  Frontenac  and  its  depending  lands,  and  all 
my  rights  in  the  country  of  the  Miamis,  Illinois,  and  others  to  the  south, 
together  with  the  establishment  which  is  in  the  country  of  the  Miamis, 
in  the  condition  which  it  shall  be  at  the  time  of  my  death;  that  of 
Niagara  and  all  the  others  which  I  may  have  founded  there,  together 
with  all  the  barges,  boats,  great  boats,  movables  and  immovables, 
rights,  privileges,  rents,  lands,  buildings,  and  other  things  belonging  to 
me,  which  shall  be  found  there;  willing  that  these  presents  be  and  serve 
for  my  testament  and  declaration  in  the  manner  in  which  I  ought  to 
make  it,  such  being  my  last  will  as  above  written  by  my  hand,  and 
signed  by  my  hand,  after  having  read  it  and  again  read  it  (lu  el  rclu). 

"Made  at  Montreal  the  lUh  of  August,  1G81. 

[Signed.]  "  Cayelikr  de  la  Sao^e." 


His  Third  Expedition  to  the  West, 


135 


expedition  with  a  company  of  thirty  men  (some  of  whom, 
however,  quit  his  service  before  reaching  Mackinac),  and 
ten  or  twelve  heavily-Uiden  canoes.  Passing  up  Ontario 
Lake  to  the  vicinity  of  the  prosci.t  Toronto,  he  thence  made 
a  long  portage  to  Lake  Simcoe.  It  was  October  when 
he  entered  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake  Huron,  and  it  was 
nor  until  the  close  of  that  month  that  his  little  flotilla 
was  pushed  out  upon  the  northern  waters  of  Lake  Micliigan. 
As  the  voyagers  crept  slowly  along  tiie  dreary  eastern  shore 
of  the  lake,  skirted  by  high  and,  for  the  most  part,  barren 
8aud-hill"s,  we  may  conjecture  some  of  the  nielaneholy 
thoughts  of  their  chief :  "A  past  of  unrequited  toil  and  sad 
disappointment,  a  present  embittered  by  the  tongue  of 
slander  and  hate,  and  the  future  clouded  with  uncertainty, 
must  have  intruded  themselves  into  his  mind,  but  could  not 
for  a  moment  divert  him  from  the  great  purpose  which,  for 
years,  had  been  the  guiding  star  of  his  destiny."  After  a 
monotonous  and  toilsome  trip,  the  leader  and  his  men 
reached  the  well-known  moutli  of  the  Miami  in  the  latter 
part  of  November,  and  drew  their  canoes  ashore  under  the 
shelter  of  the  palisaded  fort. 

Here  La  Salle  found  his  poor  Mohegan  and  Abenaki 
allies,  in  their  squalid  wigwams,  patiently  waiting  his  re- 
turn, and  from  among  them  he  chose  eighteen  men  to  ac- 
company him  on  his  southern  exploration.  These,  being 
added  to  his  twenty-three  French  and  Canadians,  made  a 
force  of  forty-one  men.  The  Indians  insisted  upon  taking 
with  them  ten  of  their  squaws  to  cook  for  them,  and  three 
children,  thus  making  a  total  of  fifty-four  persons.  Some 
of  these  supernumeraries  were  useless  and  others  a  burden ; 
but  there  seemed  no  help  for  it,  and  they  all  went.  Aban- 
doning the  old  route  via  the  St.  Joseph  and  Kankakee  for 
one  more  direct,  the  advance  party  of  the  expeditloij,  under 
the  conduct  of  the  faithful  Tonty  and  Membre,  set  out  from 
Fort  Miami  on  the  2l8t  of  December,  in  six  canoes,  and 
coasted  around  the  southern  bend  of  the  lake  to  the  mouth 
of  the  little  river  Chicago.  La  Salle  himself  followed 
a  few  days  later,  with  the  rest  of  his  men  (the  Indian 
contingent  going   by  land),  and   rejoined   the  others   on 


136 


La  SaUe\<t  Exploifs  Continued. 


the  4t]i  of  .laiiuary,  1082.  It  was  now  the  middle  of  winter 
in  this  latitude ;  the  earth  was  tliickly  carpeted  witli  snow, 
and  the  streaniB  were  all  bridged  over  witli  ice.  Tonty  liad 
caused  sledges  to  be  constructed,  on  whicVi  the  explorers 
conveyed  their  canoes,  baggage,  and  provisions  up  the  con- 
gealed surface  of  the  Chicago,  and  thence  over  the  portage 
to  the  Des  Plaines,  or  northern  fork  of  the  Illinois,  which 
was  also  found  sheeted  with  ice.  Filing  down  its  smooth 
surface,  in  long  and  picturesque  procession,  to  the  head  of 
the  Illinois  j)roper,  and  thence  down  that  river,  they  j)assed 
on  their  wintry  way  the  great  town  of  the  Illinois,  now 
partly  rebuilt,  but  temporarily  deserted  of  its  inhabitantH, 
and  at  length  came  to  open  water  at  the  foot  of  Peoria 
Lake.  Here  were  found  encamped  and  spending  the  win- 
ter a  large  number  of  Indii'Jis  belonging  to  the  great  town 
above.  Having  relinquished  for  the  time  liis  project  of 
buibling  a  sailing  vessel  for  navigati)ig  the  Lower  Missis- 
sippi, La  Salle  nuule  no  attempt  to  complete  the  one  previ- 
ously begun  at  Fort  Creve-camr;*  but,  after  obtaining  u 
supply  of  maize  from  the  natives,  and  leaving  some  orders 
with  them,  he  and  Ids  Frenchmen  resumed  their  canoes 
and  held  on  their  course  to  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

Arrived  thither  the  6th  of  February,  they  were  obliged 
to  wait  on  account  of  the  floating  ice  in  the  Mississippi, 
and  also  for  their  Eastern  Lidian8,'who  liad  fallen  behind. 
By  the  13th,  however,  these  laggards  liad  all  arrived ;  the 
navigation  was  o{)en,  and  the  adventurous  leader  launched 
his  snuUl  flotilla  on  the  current  of  the  majestic  river  which 
was  to  bear  him  south vvai'd  to  the  sea.  The  voyagers  trav- 
eled rather  tardily,  since  they  carried  no  provisions  exce}tt 
Indian  corn,  and  were  compelled  to  hunt  and  nah  almost 
dailv. 

About  seven  leagues  below  the  nmuth  of  the  Illinois 
tliey  found  the  Missouri  River  (called  the  Osage  by  Father 
Mend)re)  putting  in  from  the  west,  atul  pouring  its  yellow 
and  turbulent  flood  into  the  clearer  and  more  placid  waters 


*0n  their  return  vuyagf  the  next  Huinmor  (1082),  the  French  ex- 
plorevs  are  wiid  to  have  found  tliis  uuliiUHhe<l  bark  burnt. 


He  Descends  the  Mississippi. 


137 


of  the  Mississippi.  On  the  14th,  they  passed,  on  their  left, 
the  village  of  the  Tamaroas,  containing  one  hnndred  cabins. 
The  Indians  were  away  on  the  chase,  but  the  voyagers  left 
there  some  marks  to  indicate  their  presence  and  the  course 
they  had  taken.  After  several  more  days  of  rowing  Jind 
oailing  down  the  impetuous  river  they  reached  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  Ouabache  (Ohio),  where  they  stoj)|)ed  a  short 
time  to  replenish  their  stock  of  })rovisionH.  Re-entering 
their  canoes,  they  advanced  about  sixty  league. -  without 
stopping  to  encamp,  because  the  banks  o!i  both  nides  were 
low  and  swiimpy  and  full  of  rushes  atul  uiulerbrush. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  the  comnumder  landed  at  tlie 
Third  Chickasaw  Bluffs,  not  iar  above  the  future  site  of 
Mem}this,and  the  liunters  were  immediately  sent  out  to  scour 
the  woods  for  game.  All  of  them  returned  in  good  time 
except  otie  I'ierre  Prudhomme.  Fearing  that  he  had  been 
seized  l;y  some  prowling  band  of  tlie  Chickasaws,  who  fre- 
quented that  region.  La  Salle  put  several  Frenchmen  ai.d 
Iridiuns  on  his  trail,  and,  in  the  meantime,  threw  up  an  in- 
trenchment  and  stockade.  After  nine  days  of  active  searcii 
Prudhomnu',  who  had  lost  his  way  in  the  forest,  was  found 
and  brought  into  camp  in  a  famished  condition.  To  con- 
sole the  unfortunate  hunter,  La  Salle  named  tiie  newly  built 
fort  ibr  him,  and  left  him  with  a  few  others  in  charge  of  it. 

Again  the  explorers  embarked;  and  with  every  day  of 
their  adventurous  progress,  the  mystery  of  tliis  unknown 
regioti  was  more  and  more  unveiled.  The  hazy  sunlight, 
the  mild  and  balmy  air,  the  tender  foliage,  the  ojtening 
flowers,  the  cheery  notes  of  the  birds,  all  betokened  the 
revival  of  Nature,  and  that  tliey  had  entered  the  realms  of 
spring.* 

On  the  I'ith  of  March,  having  advanced  some  forty 
leagues,  and  passed  the  village  of  the  Mitchigameas,  they 
were  astonished  to  hear  on  their  right  the  btrating  of  In- 
tliuri  (lrun\s  and  war  cries,  enninating  from  a  war-danee  at 
a  village  of  tlie  Akansas  (Arkansas).  Apprehenditig  an 
allack,  Ltt  Salle,  under  cover  of  a  fog,  immediately  with- 


•  i> 


I'arknian'H  UiBfovery  of  the  CJrout  West. 


138 


La  Salle's  Exploits  Continued. 


drew  his  flotilla  to  tlie  oppoBite  shore,  and  there,  on  a  pro- 
jecting point  or  cape,  threw  up  an  intrejichnient  and  felled 
trees  to  prevent  a  surprise.  He  then  directed  soine  of  his 
men  to  go  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  by  signs,  invite 
the  Indians  to  come  over  to  them.  This  being  observed 
by  some  chiefs  of  the  Akansas,  they  sent  several  of  their 
young  men  in  a  pirogue,  v/hich  approached  within  gunshot 
of  the  French  camp.  Here  the  calumet  of  peace  was  dis- 
played, and  two  of  the  savages,  standing  up  in  their  canoe, 
made  signs  for  the  Frenchmen  to  come  to  them.  At  this 
invitation  La  Salle  sent  one  of  his  Canadians  and  six  Aben- 
akis,  who  were  received  with  manifestations  of  friendship, 
and  were  escorted  back  by  six  of  the  Akansas.  La  Salle 
thereupon  nuule  presents  to  them  of  tobacco  and  some 
goods,  and  they,  in  turn,  invited  him  to  visit  their  village. 
Being  thus  assured,  he  crossed  the  river  witli  his  entire 
force  to  the  village  called  Kappa,  where  he  stayed  throe 
days,  and  was  feasted  throughout  with  corn,  beans,  dried 
fruit,  and  fish.  On  the  day  after  his  arrival  La  Salle  took 
formal  possessioM  of  the  country  by  planting  a  cross  and 
setting  up  the  -ivms  of  France;  whereat  the  villagers,  not 
knowing  the  purport  of  the  ceremony,  showed  signs  of 
great  joy.  The  explorers  were  surprised  to  find  here  many 
domestic  fowls,  and  some  tamed  bustards,  which  were  prob- 
ably kept  for  ornamental  purposes.  They  took  their  do- 
pafture  on  the  17th,  and  six  leagues  farther  down  the  river, 
came  to  another  village  of  the  «ame  i.vtion,  called  To!iingu, 
and  three  leagues  beyond  that  still  another,*  the  inhabitantH 
of  which  all  received  them  hospitably.  These  Arkansiin 
Indians  called  themselves  Oguappas,  or  (^uappas,  and  arc 
said  to  have  formerly  dwelt  higher  up  the  Mississippi.  It 
was  observed  that  they  were  much  less  morose  and  severe 
ill  their  nuuiners,  and  more  open-hearted  and  generoiin 
than  the  tribes  of  the  north,  which  was  doubtless  partly 
owing  to  (TuTuitic  influences.    - 

Having  been   furnished  witii  tlie  requisite  guides,  the 


♦.Toutel,  who  viHittMl  tho  ArkanHan  five  yoars  lator,  iiiakoH  ineiition 
of  only  two  villaKHH  on  the  MiHsiHsippi;  but  there  was  a  third  on  the 
ArkaoHUH,  juwl  al>ove  itn  mouth. 


He  Descends  the  Mississipjn. 


139 


explorers  thence  coiitiiuied  their  voyage,  and  on  the  22d, 
after  passing  the  hilly  site  of  Vioksburg,  reached  tlie  terr*- 
tory  of  a  tribe  called  the  Taensas,  who  dwelt  around 
a  little  lake  or  bayou,  formed  by  the  Mississippi.  Ik'ing 
fatigued,  La  Salle  sent  Tonty  and  Membre  thither  witli 
presents.  Arrived  at  the  main  village  of  the  Taensas,  they 
were  agreeably  surprised  at  the  evidences  presented  of  In- 
dian civilization.  The  houses  were  built  of  earth  mixed 
with  straw,  and  roofed  with  cane  mats  in  the  form  of  a 
dome,  and  were  arranged  around  a  square  or  quad- 
rangle. The  liouse  of  the  liead  chief  was  a  single  room 
forty  feet  square,  and  tifteen  feet  high  to  the  top  of  the 
roof.  It  was  entered  and  lighted  by  one  large  door,  in 
which  the  cliief  sat  in  state,  waiting  the  approach  of  hiH 
visitors.  Around  him  were  grouped  some  sixty  old  men, 
dressed  in  white  robes  made  of  the  under  bark  of  the  mul- 
berry tree,  and  near  him  sat  three  of  his  wives  clothed  in 
like  manner,  who,  to  do  him  honor  when  he  spoke  to  them, 
indulged  in  guttural  cries.  After  [)aying  their  respects  to 
these  dignitaries,  tlie  Frcnciimen  were  conducte<l  to  the 
temple  near  by,  which  was  oval-shape<l  and  somewhat 
larger  than  the  royal  residence.  Within  it  were  deposited 
the  boin'S  of  defunct  chiefs,  and  in  the  middle  stood  an 
altar,  at  the  foot  of  which  a  tire  was  kept  burning  day  and 
night  by  two  old  prefres,  or  priests,  wl\o  were  the  directors 
of  their  worsliip.  The  top  of  the  temple  was  surmounted 
I>y  three  roughly  carved  eagles,  facing  toward  the  rising 
mn;  and,  surrounding  it,  was  a  mud  or  adobe  wall  stuchled 
with  sharp  pointed  stakes,  on  wliich  were  hung  the  skulls 
of  their  enemies  who  had  been  sacriticed  to  the  sun.  The 
district  around  the  village  was  planted  with  ditferetit  kinds 
of  fruit  and  nut  bearing  trees  and  wild  vines,  whi(;h  fur- 
nished a  considerable  part  of  tlie  subsistence  of  the  people. 
The  chief  of  tlie  Taensas  sent  provisions  to  La  Salle,  and 
the  next  day  paid  him  a  formal  visit  at  liis  camp.  lie  came 
with  wooden  canoes,  attended  by  the  otftcers  of  his  Innise- 
hold,  to  the  sound  of  the  tambour  and  the  wild  music 
of  the  women.  The  (iiiief  was  clotiied  in  a  tine  white 
blanket,  atid  was  preceded  by  two  attendants  carrying  fauH 


140 


Tju  Salle's  Exploits  Continued. 


of  white  t'eatlierB.  La  Salle  received  him  witli  great  polit.p- 
neKB,  made  liim  a  few  f>resent8,  and  ret^eived  in  return  pro- 
visions, ai]d  8()me  of  their  robes  or  bUmkets.  During  thJH 
interview  the  Indian  })0tentate  maintained  a  grave  de- 
meanor, not  unmixed  witli  curiositv  and  markK  of  friend- 
ship  toward  tlie  Frenchmen. 

Re-end>arkijig  on  tlie  strange  river,  and  luiving  ad- 
vanced twelve  leagues  fartlier,  the  ex})]orers  (on  the  26th) 
fell  in  with  8ome  fishermen  of  the  Natchies  (Natcliez)  na- 
tion, who  were  enemies  of  the  Taensas,  tliough  a  kindred 
people.  With  liis  usual  j)recaution,  La  Salle  passed  over  to 
the  opposite  bank,  and  then  sent  Tonty  to  them  witli  tlio 
peace  calumet.  The  Indians  were  found  well  disposed,  and 
some  of  them  crossed  the  river  with  Tonty  to  tlie  Frencii 
camp.  Although  their  village  lay  some  three  leagues  in- 
land. La  Salle  did  not  hesitate  to  go  thither,  with  Memhrc 
and  a  i>art  of  his  men  :  and  on  their  arrival,  they  met 
a  kindly  w^elcome.  The  chief  of  this  village  was  a 
brother  of  the  great  chief  or  Sun  of  the  whole  mition, 
whose  village  lay  several  leagues  do  vn  the  river,  and  about 
one  league  from  the  present  city  of  Natchez.  After  spend- 
ing the  niglit  at  the  first  v,illuge.  La  Salle  and  his  })arty 
proceeded  the  next  day  to  the  town  of  the  Sun-chief,  wIkm'c 
they  were  hatulsomely  entertained,  and,  by  permission. 
erected  a  cross  bearing  the  king's  arms.  This  proceeding 
was  viewed  with  great  satisfaction  by  the  inhabitants,  hut 
it  would  have  been  otherwise  if  they  had  understood  its 
real  significance.  As  with  the  Taensas,  so  here  among  the 
Natchez,  the  Ki'ciich  visitors  saw  substantially  built  houscn. 
a  royal  residence,  a  rude  temple  of  the  sun,  with  its  altar  of 
perpetual  fire,  and  an  established  form  of  religious  worsliiji. 
The  friar  Membic,  in  his  Narrative,  speaks  of  both  triben 
as  being  half-civilized,  and  as  presenting  a  good  field  lor 
missionary  effort.  ^         '       :  < 

On  the  way  back  to  their  camp.  La  Salle  and  party  were 
accompanied  by  several  of  the  head  men  of  the  Natclioz, 
and  also  by  a  chief  of  the  Koroas,  or  Ooroas.  This  cliiot 
now  conducted  the  explorers  to  his  village,  which  was  situ- 
ated ten   l(>agues  below  on  a  pheasant  eminence.     Arrivoil 


He  Reaches  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 


141 


at  the  village,  the  usual  Indian  feast  was  made,  and  the 
customary  presents  were  given  and  received.  Here  the 
vcyagers  were  told  that  they  still  had  ten  (hiys'  sail  to  the 
Boa.*  Leaving  the  Koroas  on  Easter  Sunday,  the  29th  of 
March,  they  passed  the  mouth  of  Red  River  two  days  after- 
ward, and  vstill  keeping  on  their  course  for  a  distance  of 
nearly  forty  leagues,  they  discovered  some  Indian  iisher- 
nien  on  tlie  bank  of  the  river,  and  immediately  heard  the 
beating  of  drums  and  war-cries.  Four  Frenchmen  were 
sent  forward  to  offer  them  the  calumet,  but  they  had  to  re- 
turn in  haste,  because  the  natives  let  ily  at  them  a  shower  of 
arrows.  These  Indians  belonged  to  the  Quinipissa  tribe, 
and  iu  consequence  of  their  hostility  La  Salle  continued 
luH  voyage  two  leagues  lower  <lown,  when  he  landed  at  a 
small  village  of  the  Tangibaos,  which  had  been  recently 
pillaged,  and  contained  (iead  bodies. 

At  length,  on  the  Hth  of  April,  after  nearly  two  months 
of  navigation,  the  explorers  arrived  at  a  point  where  the 
river  divides  itself  into  three  principal  channels  or  [lasses, 
which  branch  oft*  to  the  Gul*^'.  They  landed  and  encamped 
on  the  bank  of  the  most  westerly.  The  next  day  (the  7th), 
La  Sidle  divided  his  company  into  three  bands,  to  go  and 
explore  the  difterent  passes.  IFc  himself  took  the  south- 
wentern,  Tonty  and  Membre  the  middle  one,  and  D'Autray  f 
the  eastern.  As  the  adventurotis  leader  now  drifted  <lown 
the  narrow  (ihannel,  between  low  alluvial  banks,  "the 
brackish  water  gradually  changed  to  brine,  and  the  breeze 
jrrew  fresh  with  the  salt  breath  of  the  sea."  Then,  lo !  the 
broad,  heaving  bosom  of  the  great  Gulf  itself  opened  to 
his  enraptured  gaze,  with  its  light-green  waves  foaming 
and  breaking  upon  the  marshy  shore;  "without  a  sail,  with- 
out a  sign  of  human  life." 

The  three  passes  or  outlets  of  the  river  were  found  to 
be  large  and  deep,  and  cpiite  salt  two  leagu(^s  below  their 
lieitd.     With  an  astrolabe,  whitdi  La  Salle  always  carried 


*An  ordinary' day'fi  Huil  witli  tlie  IndiaiiH  vvaH  I'roiii  ton  to  twelve? 

f  Tlje  Hieur  D'Autray  wuh  a  «on  of  M.  Bourdon  dWutray,  then  lately 
'leccMWiMl,  l)iit  formerly  j)ro<!urator  nenoral  of  Ciuebeo. 


142 


La  Salle's  Exploits  Continued. 


with  him,  he  took  t^ie  latitude  of  the  mouth,  and  ascertained 
it  to  be  about  28°  30'  north,  but  kept  this  to  himself.  The 
Mississippi  was  roughly  estimated  by  the  explorers  at  ei,t^ht 
hundred  leagues  in  length,  and  it  was  reckoned  that  they 
had  traveled  at  least  three  hundred  and  fifty  French  leagues 
from  the  confluence  of  the  Illinois,  which  was  considerably 
less  than  the  actual  distance  by  tlie  river.  After  coasting  the 
spongy  and  reed-fringed  beach  for  a  short  distance,  La  Salle 
retraced  his  course  to  his  camp  ;  and  on  the  8th  the  reunited 
party  mounted  to  a  spot  of  dry  ground  on  the  bank  of  the 
main  river.  Here,  on  the  9th  of  April,  with  all  possible 
solemnity,  they  performed  the  ceremony  of  taking  »posses- 
.  sion  of  the  country.  A  column  had  been  j)repared,  to  wliicli 
was  affixed  the  arms  of  France,  with  this  inscription : 
^^  Louis  Lr  Grand.,  Roi  de  France  et  de  Navarre,  regne;  Lc 
Neuvicme  Avril,  1682."   . 

The  Frenclmien  were  all  mustered  under  arms,  and, 
while  tne  New  England  Indians  of  the  party  looked  on  in 
wondering  silence,  the  former,  led  by  Father  Zenol)e, 
chanted  the  Te  Deicm,  the  Lxaudiat,  and  other  hymns  in 
praise  to  God  for  their  great  discovery.  Then,  amid  dis- 
charges of  musketry  and  shouts  of  Vir>c  le  Roi,  the  colunui 
was  planted  by  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  who,  standing  near  it, 
recited,  in  a  loud  voice,  tlie  fc  lowing  declaration,  which  lijid 
been  drawn  uj)  at  his  dictation  by  Jacques  de  la  Metairie,  a 
Caiuidian  notary,  wlio  accompanied  tlie  expedition  from 
Fort  F'rontenac: 

"  In  the  name  of  the  most  high,  mighty,  invincible,  and 
victorious  Princ.;,  Louis,  the  Great  King  of  France  and 
Navarre,  Fourteenth  of  that  name,  this  ninth  day  of  Ajiril, 
1682,  I,  in  virtue  of  the  commission  of  his  Majesty,  which 
I  hold  in  my  hand,  and  v/hich  nuiy  be  seen  by  all  whom  it 
nuiy  concern,  luive  taken,  and  do  now  take,  in  the  name  of 
his  majesty,  and  of  his  successors  to  the  crown,  possession  ot 
this  country  of  Louisiami,  the  seas,  harbors,  ports,  bays, 
adjacent  straits,  and  all  the  luitions,  peoples,  })rovinccs, 
towns,  villages,  mines,  minerals,  fisherius,  streams,  and 
rivers,  comprised  in  the  extent  of  said  Louisiana,  fnmi  the 
mouth  of  tiie  great  river  St.  Louis,  on   the  eastern  side, 


Takes  Formal  Possession  of  the  Country. 


143 


otherwise  called  Ohio,  Alighin,  or  Chukagoiia,  and  this  with 
tiie  consent  of  the  Chaouanons,  Chicachas,  and  other  people 
dwelling  therein,  with  whom  we  have  made  alliance ;  as  also 
along  the  river  Colbert,  or  Mississippi,  and  rivers  which  dis- 
charge themselves  therein,  from  its  source  beyond  the  coun- 
try of  tlie  Kious,  or  Kadouessious,  and  this  with  their  con- 
Hent,  and  with  the  consent  of  the  Motantees,  Illinois,  Mesi- 
gtimeas,  Natches,  Koroas,  which  are  the  tnost  considerable 
nations  dwelling  therein,  with   whom  also  we  have  made 
alliance,  either  by  ourselves  or  by  others  in  our  behalf;*  as 
far  as  its  mouth  at  the  sea,  or  Gulf  of  Mexico,  about  the 
27th  degree  of  the  elevation  of  the  North  Pole,  and  also  to 
the  mouth  of  the   river  of  Palms  ;  upon  the  assurance  we 
liavo  received   from  all  these   nations,  that  we  are  the  first 
Eiu'opeans  who  have  descended  or  ascended  the  said  river 
Colbert;  hereby  protesting  against  all  those  who  may  in 
future   undertake  to   invade  any  or  all  of  these  countries, 
people,  or  lands  above  described,  to  the  prejudice  of  the 
right  of  his  iruijesty,  acquired   by   consent  of  the  nations 
herein  named.     Of  which,  and  of  all  that  can  be  needed,  I 
hereby  take  to  witness  those  who  hear  nie,  and  dematid  an 
act  of  the  notary,  as  required  by  law." 

"To  which  the  whole  assembly  responded  with  shouts 
of  Vive  le  Jioi,  and  with  salutes  of  fire-arms.  Moreover, 
the  Hieur  de  la  Salle  caused  to  be  buried  at  the  foot  of 
the  tree  to  which  the  cross  was  attached  a  leaden  plate,  on 
one  side  of  which  were  engraved  the  arms  of  France,  and, 
on  the  ()p))osite,  the  following  Latin  insci'iption  :  ^Jjudovkus 
Ma(jni(s  Rcf/nat,  Nono  Apvilis,  31.  fJ.  (\  LXXXTl.,'  etc.  .    .    . 

"After  which  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  said,  that  his  nuij- 
esty,  as  oldest  son  of  the  churcli,  wtuild  annex  no  country 
to  his  crown  without  making  it  his  chief  care  to  establish 
the  Christian  religion  therein,  and  that  its  synd)()l  must  now 
be  planted;  which  was  accordingly  don<'  at  once  by  erecting 


■Tliorc  is  Home  obscurity  iti  this  cnutnonUion  of  placcR  and  Indijin 
iiutimis,  arisinjj;  from  i}?noraiife  of  tlu'  gcofiraphy  of  Uie  country,  ami  tlie 
t'OiiHont  of  tlu'  al)origin('K  is,  of  course,  asHumed  ;  l)ut  it  appears  to  liave 
beoH  La  Salle's  design  to  talce  possession  of  tiie  whole  territory  watered 
by  tl\o  Mis8is8ip|)i  and  its  numerous  tributaries. 


144 


La  Salle's  Exploits  Continued. 


a  cross,  before  which  tl*e  Vexilla  and  the  Domine  salvumfae 
Refjem.  were  suii^.  Whereupon  the  ceremony  was  concluded 
with  cries  of  Vive  le  Boi.  * 

"  Of  all  and  every  of  the  above,  the  said  Sieur  de  la 
Salle  having  required  of  us  an  instrument,  we  have  deliv- 
ered to  him  the  same,  signed  by  us,  and  by  the  undersigned 
witnesses,  this  ninth  day  of  April,  one  thousand  six  hun- 
dred and  eighty-two. 

"  La  Metairie,  Notary. 


a 


Witnesses :  De  la  Salle.  P.  Zenobe  (Recollect  Mission- 
ary), Henri  de  Tonty,  Francois  de  Boisrondet,  Jean  Bour- 
don, Sieur  d'Autray,  Jacques  Cauchois,  Pierre  You,  Gilles 
Meucret,  Jean  Michel  (Surgeon),  Jean  Mas,  Jean  Dulignou, 
Nicolas  de  la  Salle."*  ' 

These  formal  acts,  attesting  La  Salle's  important  geo- 
graphical discovery,  gave  to  Louis  XIV.  a  territory  far 
more  extensive  than  his  hereditary  European  possessions, 
though  not  destined  in  the  sequence  oJ'  events  to  become  a 
permanent  appendage  of  the  French  cvown. 

Having  thus  achieved  the  great  object  of  the  expedi- 
tion, our  explorers  began  their  return  voyage  on  the  10th 
of  April.  As  they  laboriously  ascended  the  current  of  the 
deep  river,  they  were  half  famished,  having  nothing  to  eat 
but  some  potatoes  and  tough  alligator  meat.  The  adjacent 
banks  were  so  low,  and  covered  with  thickets  of  canes  and 
undergrowth,  that  they  could  not  stop  to  hunt  without 
making  a  long  halt.  On  the  night  of  the  12th,  they  slept  at 
the  village  of  the  Tangibaos,t  and  the  next  day  reached  the 
district  of  the  Quinipissas.  Determined  to  have  some  maize 
at  any  cost,  La  Salle  now  sent  out  a  party  of  his  Abenakis 
to  reconnoiter.  They  returned  on  the  morning  of  the  14th, 
bringing  with  them  four  of  the  Quinipissas  women  whom 
they  had  captured,  and  thereupon  La  Salle  went  and  en- 
camped opposite  their  village.     The  day  after  he  sent  one 


*See  Historical  Coil's  of  La.,  Part  I.,  pp.  48-50.  An  authenticated 
copy  of  these  proceedings  was  afterward  sent  to  Paris,  and  deposited  in 
the  Department  of  the  Marine  and  Colonies. 

t  Supposed  to  have  been  near  the  site  of  New  Orleans. 


His  Return  Voyage. 


145 


of  the  women  back  with  presents  of  merchandise  to  indi- 
cate his  good  will,  and  the  savages  brought  him  in  return 
a  little  corn.  Being  invited  to  cross  tlie  river  to  the  vi- 
cinity of  their  village,  the  Frenchmen  diii  so,  but  kept 
strictly  on  their  guard.  Before  daybreak  the  next  morn- 
ing, they  were  attacked  iji  their  camp  by  the  Quinipissas, 
whom  they  easily  repulsed,  killing  ten  and  wounding  others, 
besides  burning  their  canoes.  This  is  the  only  recorded  in- 
stance of  the  sacrifice  of  human  life  during  the  course  of 
the  expedition. 

R,e-em])arking  on  the  evening  of  that  day  (the  18th), 
La  Salle  and  his  followers  reached  the  village  of  the  Ko- 
reas, about  the  first  of  May,  but  found  them  no  longer 
friendly  and  obliging  as  before.  Arrived  at  the  district  of 
the  Natchez,  they  lauded  and  went  out  to  their  village,  but, 
seeing  no  women  tliere,  Huspected  some  evil  design.  The 
Natchez  gave  them  food  to  eat,  but  the  Frenchmen  ate  it 
with  their  guns  in  their  liands,  fearing  an  attack  from  the 
great  number  of  w^arriors  by  whom  they  were  surrounded. 
Keturning  hastily  to  their  canoes,  they  held  on  their  way 
up  the  river,  stopping  at  the  Taensas  and  the  Arkansas, 
where  they  were  v,  ell  received. 

Leaving  the  Arkatisas  villages  about  the  middle  of  May, 
La  Salle  pushed  ahead  with  two  canoes  of  his  Mohegans,  but  ' 
falling  sick  on  the  river,  he  stopped  at  Fort  Prudhomme, 
and  was  there  joined  by  the  rest  of  his  comjjany  on  the 
first  of  June.  Ilis  sickness  being  protn^cted  and  danger- 
ous, the  Friar  Membre  remained  witli  him  to  nurse  liim. 
Meantime,  Tonty  was  sent  forward  with  a  few  compan- 
ions to  Mackinac,  to  arrange  his  affairs.  It  was  not  until 
the  first  of  July  that  La  Salle  recovered  sufficiently  to 
travel.  He  then  resumed  his  voyage,  and  advanced  by 
short  stages  to  Fort  Miami,  and  thence  to  Mackinac, 
whither  he  arrived  early  in  September.*        .  '         • 

The  Sieur  de  la  Salle  had  at  length  triumphed  over 

*  For  fuller  details  cencerning  tliis  niomorable  and  siicccgsful  expe- 
dition, see  the  Narratives  of  Membre  and  Tonty,  and  tiie  Proces  Verbal  of 
I^Metaire. 
10 


146 


La  Salle's  Exploits  Continued. 


every  opposing  obstacle,  ainl  though  not  finding  flie 
long-sought  passage  to  the  Paeific  Ocean,  he  had  followed 
the  Mississippi  River  to  its  entrance  into  the  Mexican  Gulf, 
and  written  his  name  liigh  in  the  list  of  American  dis- 
coverers. It  remained  for  him  to  extend  and  utilize  his 
discovery  to  the  best  advantage  for  himself  and  his 
sovereign.  As  the  country  of  the  Illinois  formed  the  center 
of  his  operations,  he  now  resolved  to  abandon  the  tedious 
and  ditRcult  line  of  access  to  it  through  Canada  and  the 
lakes,  beset  by  so  many  enemies,  and  to  open  a  passage  to 
his  western  domain  by  way  of  the  Gulf  aiul  Lower  Missis- 
sippi. He  proposed  to  build  a  fort  on  the  head  waters  of 
the  Illinois,  and  found  there  a  French  and  Indian  col- 
ony, which  might  serve  the  twofold  purpose  of  a  bulwark 
against  the  inroads  of  the  Iroquois,  and  a  central  point  for 
the  fur-trade  of  the  western  tribes.  And  he  hoped,  before 
the  close  of  the  ensuing  year,  to  establish  another  fort  atid 
colony  at  the  embouchure  of  the  Mississippi,  tiius  placing 
the  trade  of  the  whole  great  valley  under  his  control.  TIiIh 
new  enterprise  was  not  unworthy  of  the  genius  of  La  Salle. 
It  was  his  intention  on  his  arrival  at  Mackinac  to  have 
gone  at  once  to  Canada,  and  thence  to  France,  to  procure 
aid  from  the  king  in  the  execution  of  his  plan ;  but  his 
health  and  circumstances  not  permitting,  he  sent  Father 
Membre  with  dispatches,  making  known  the  extent  and 
importance  of  his  discovery. 

Soon  after  this  a  report  reached  La  Salle,  that  the 
Iroquois — those  fierce  Romans  of  the  wilderness — wore 
about  to  renew  their  raid  upon  tlie  western  tribes,  vvh 
such  a  hostile  mov(;ment  might  be  fatal  to  his  projected 
colony,  he  deemed  it  the  part  of  prudence  to  follow  Tonty, 
whom  he  had  already  sent  to  the  Illinois,  and  joined  him 
at  the  great  Indian  town.  This  celebrated  village  stood 
on  the  northern  side  of  the  Illinois  River  (which  here  runs 
from  east  to  west),  about  one  mile  from  the  modern  town 
of  Utica,  in  what  is  now  La  Salle  county.*  It  thus  occu- 
pied a  part  of  the  wide  strip  of  bottom  land  lying  between 


*  Ho  named  in  memory  of  the  great  ex[)lorer. 


Fort  St.  Louis  of  the  Illinois. 


147 


the  river  and  the  bluffs  to  the  nortli.  The  large  quantities 
of  human  bones  and  implements  of  savage  life  that  liave 
been  turned  up  here,  from  time  to  time,  by  the  plough- 
share of  the  husbandman,  form  tlie  only  vestiges  of  the 
populous  tribes,  who  once  made  this  attractive  locality 
their  principal  abode.  Along  the  southern  border  of  the 
stream  extends  a  range  of  irregular  sandstone  bluffs,  which 
culminates  a  mile  above  the  old  village  in  a  natural  abut- 
ment, known  to  the  early  French  explorers  as  Le  Rocher^ 
but,  at  a  later  period,  as  the  "Starved  Rock."  Severfil 
miles  below  this,  on  the  same  side,  occurs  a  canyon  in 
the  hills  and  bluffs,  through  which  the  waters  of  the 
Big  Vermilion,  or  Aramoni  of  the  French,  fiuu  their  way 
to  those  of  the  Illinois.  Of  the  Starved  liock  and  its  sur- 
roundings, Breese  thus  enthusia  tically  writes  : 

"It  is  a  most  romantic  spot.  I  have  stood  upon  the 
'Starved  Roc\  '  and  gazed  for  hours  upon  the  beautiful 
landscape  spread  out  beneath  me.  The  undulating  plains 
rich  in  their  verdure,  the  rounded  hills  beyond  clad  in  their 
forest  livery,  and  the  gentle  river  pursuing  its  noiseless  way 
to  the  Mississippi  and  the  Gulf,  all  in  harniv-nious  associa- 
tion, make  up  a  picture  over  which  the  eye  delights  to 
wander;  and  when  to  these  are  added  the  recollection  of 
the  heroic  adventurers  who  first  occupied  it — that  here  the 
baiuier  of  France  so  many  years  floated  freely  in  the  winds, 
that  here  was  civilization,  whilst  all  around  them  was  bar- 
baric darkness — the  most  intense  and  varied  emotions  can 
not  fail  to  be  awakened."  * 

From  the  river  which  washes  its  base,  the  huge  cliff 
rises  perpendicularly  to  an  altitude  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-six  feet;  and  only  on  one  side,  that  next  to  the 
land,  can  it  be  climbed  with  difKculty. 

To  the  summit  of  this  na+ural  citadel,  embratMiig  an 
area  of  half  an  acre,  La  Salle  and  Tonty  repaired  in  De- 
cember, 1682,  and  commenced  the  work  of  fortification. 
With  the  assistance  of  their  men,  they  felled  the  stunted 
growth  of  pines  and   deciduous   trees   that   crowned   the 


*  (I 


Early  History  of  Illinois,"  p.  121. 


148 


La  Salle's  Exploits  Continued. 


Kofk,  and  with  tliese  built  a  rude  storehouse.  Then  they 
cut  and  dragged  timbers,  with  great  labor,  up  the  rugged 
ascent  of  the  ciift",  and  inclosed  the  top  with  a  stout 
palisade.  The  fort  was  practically  finished  during  that 
winter,  and  was  named  by  La  Salle  Fort  dc  St.  Louis,  in 
honor  to  the  reigning  monarch  of  France.  It  was  intended 
as  the  nucleus  of  a  permanent  settlement,  and  was  con- 
tinuously occuj»ied  "by  the  French  until  the  year  1700,  and 
occasionally  afterward.* 

With  the  completion  of  the  fortress  (in  the  spring  of 
1683)  the  Illinois  Indians  began  to  gather  about  it,  looking 
upon  La  Salle  as  the  great  chief  who  was  to  protect  them 
from  the  Iroquois  ;  and  the  surrounding  country  soon  again 
became  animated  with  the  wild  concourse  of  savage  life. 
Besides  the  Illinois,  there  were  also  scattered  along  the 
river  valley,  and  among  the  neighboring  liills  and  prairies, 
the  fragments  of  at  least  half  a  dozen  other  tribes,  namely : 
Miamis  from  the  sources  of  the  Kankakee,  Piankashaws 
and  Weas  from  the  Wabash,  Shawnees  from  the  Ohio 
valley,  and  some  Abenakuis  and  Mohicans  from  N^ew 
F4ngland.  La  Salle's  dexterous  diplomacy  had  thus  been 
crowned  with  unexpected  success,  a  result  largely  due  to 
the  general  terror  inspired  by  the  ferocious  Iroquois.  In  a 
memorial  addressed  to  the  French  Minister  of  Marine,  he 
reported  the  whole  number  of  warriors  around  Fort  St. 
Louis  at  four  thousand,  which  would  represent  a  popula- 
tion of  twenty  thousand  persons.  But  this  exaggerated 
number  could  only  have  been  possible  at  particular  seasons 
of  the  year,  since  those  nomadic  people  went  and  came 
according  as  the  fish,  game,  and  wild  fruits  were  more  or 
less  abundant. 

By  virtue  of  the  authority  conferred  in  his  patent.  La 
Salle  ruled  his  broad  domain  as  a  seigniory,  and  went 
through  the  form  of  parceling  out  f)ortion8  of  the  laud  to 


*  The  outline  of  another  fort  or  earthwork,  which  might  have  been 
a  work  of  tiie  early  French,  is  yet  to  be  seen  on  the  rocky  bluff  about 
half  a  naile  south  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  near  the  edjje  of  the  prairie.  See 
Baldwin's  Hist,  of  La  Salle  Co.,  111.,  p.  55. 


He  Corresponds  with  Gorcrno^^  La  Borre. 


140 


his  French  followers.  The  latter,  however,  were  too  indo- 
lent und  profligate  to  improve  or  derive  any  benefit  from 
such  grants,  thinking  more  of  their  Indian  concubines  than 
of  cultivating  wild  lands.  To  maintain  his  new  colony,  the 
chief  found  it  necessary  to  furnish  its  membei*8  with  mili- 
tary protection,  and  merchandise  to  barter  for  furs  and 
pelts — no  easy  task  in  his  situation.  While  he  was  con- 
certing and  endeavoring  to  execute  measures  for  the  main- 
tenance and  development  of  his  colony,  his  rivals  and  ene- 
mies in  Canada,  from  envy  oi*  short-sighted  [)olicy,  were 
doing  all  they  could  to  defeat  him.  Unfortunately,  his 
friend  and  patron,  Count  Frontenac,  had  been  removed 
from  office,  and  Le  Febvre  de  la  Barre,  a  headstrong  and 
avaricious  old  naval  officer,  governed  in  his  stead.  From 
the  outset  of  his  administration,  La  Barre  shov/ed  himself 
a  bitter  enemy  to  La  Salle.  Yet  the  latter,  busy  witli  his 
own  affairs,  and  not  knowing  or  assuming  to  know  the 
jealousy  with  which  he  was  regarded,  wrote  to  the  new 
governor  from  Fort  St.  Louis,  under  date  Aj)ril  2,  1(388, 
expressing  the  liope  that  he  would  have  from  him  the 
same  support  that  he  had  received  from  his  predecessor. 
After  saying  that  his  enemies  would  try  to  intluence  the 
governor  against  him,  he  went  on  to  give  some  account  of 
his  explorations.  lie  stated  that,  with  only  twenty-two 
Frenchmen,  he  had  formed  amicable  relations  with  the 
different  tribes  along  the  Mississippi  liiver,  and  that  his 
royal  patent  authorized  him  to  establish  posts  in  the  newly 
discovered  country,  and  to  make  grants  around  them,  as  at 
Fort  Frontenac,  and  then  added  : 

"The  losses  in  my  enterprise  have  exceeded  40,000 
crowns.  I  am  now^  going  four  hundred  leagues  south-west 
of  this  place  to  induce  the  C/hicasas  to  follow  the  Shaw- 
anoes  and  other  tribes,  and  settle  like  them  at  Fort  St. 
Louis.  It  remained  only  to  settle  French  colonists  here, 
and  this  I  have  already  done.  I  hope  you  will  not  detain 
them  as  conreurs  dcs  bois  when  they  come  down  to  Montreal 
to  make  necessary  purchases.  I  am  aware  that  I  have  no 
right  to  trade  with  the  tribes  who  descend  to  Montreal, 
and  I  shall  not  permit  such  trade  to  my  men;  nor  have  I 


150 


La  Salle's  Exploits  Continued. 


ever  issued  licenses  to  that  eft'eet.  as  my  enemies  say  that  I 
liave  clone." 

Despite  this  reasonable  request  on  the  part  of  La  Salle, 
the  men  whom  he  had  sent  to  Montreal  on  business  were 
detained  there,  and  on  the  4th  of  June  he  again  wrote  to 
Governor  La  Barre,  in  a  more  urgent  strain,  as  follows : 

"  The  Iroquois  are  again  invading  the  country.  Laot 
year  the  Miamis  were  so  alarmed  by  them  that  they  aban- 
doned their  town  and  fled,  but  on  my  return  they  came 
back,  and  have  been  induced  to  settle  with  the  Illinois  at 
my  fort  of  St.  Louis.  The  Iroquois  have  lately  ;.iurdored 
some  families  of  their  nation,  and  they  are  all  in  terror 
again.  I  am  afraid  they  Vv^ill  take  flight,  and  so  prevent  the 
Missouris  and  neighboring  tribes  from  coming  to  settle  at 
St.  Louis,  as  they  are  about  to  do.  Some  of  the  Ilurons  and 
French  tell  the  Miamis  that  I  am  keeping  them  here  for  the 
Iroquois  to  destroy.  I  pray  that  you  will  let  me  hear  from 
you,  that  I  may  give  these  people  some  assurance  of  pro- 
tection before  they  are  destroyed  in  my  sight.  Do  not  suf- 
fer my  men,  who  have  come  down  to  the  settlements,  to  be 
longer  prevented  from  returning.  There  is  great  need 
hereof  reinforcements.  I  have  postponed  going  to  Mack- 
inac, because,  if  the  Iroquois  strike  any  blow  in  my  absence, 
the  Miamia  will  think  I  am  in  league  with  them;  whereas 
if  I  and  the  French  stay  among  them,  they  will  regard  us 
as  protectors. 

"  But,  monsieur,  it  is  in  vain  that  we  risk  our  lives 
here,  and  that  I  exhaust  my  means  in  order  to  fulflll  the  in- 
tention of  his  majesty,  if  all  my  measures  are  crossed  in  the 
settlements  ])el()\v,  and  if  those  who  go  down  to  bring  niii- 
fiitions,  without  which  we  can  not  defend  ourselves,  are  de- 
taijied  under  ])retexts  trumped  up  for  the  occasion.  If  I  u?ii 
prevented  from  bringing  up  my  men  and  supplies,  as  I  am 
allowed  to  do  by  the  permit  of  (Jount  Frontemic,  then  my 
patent  from  the  king  is  useless.  It  would  be  very  hard  for 
us,  after  having  done  what  was  required,  even  before  the 
time  prescribed,  and  i\\\vv  suffering  seviro  losses,  to  havo 
our  eilbrls  frustrated  by  obstacles  got  up  designedly.  I 
trust  that,  as   it  lies  with   you   alone  to  {)revent  or  [Kriiiit 


Corresponds  with  Gocernor  La  Bar  re. 


151 


the  return  of  the  men  whom  I  have  sent  down,  ^  ^u  will  not 
80  act  as  to  thwart  my  plan«,  as  part  of  the  goods  which  I 
have  sent  by  them  belongs  not  to  me,  but  the  Sieur  de 
Tonty,  and  are  a  part  of  his  pay.  Others  are  to  buy  muni- 
tions indispensable  to  our  defense.  Do  not  let  my  creditors 
seize  them.  It  is  for  tlieir  advantage  that  my  fort,  full  as 
it  is  of  goods,  shouUl  be  held  against  the  enemy.  I  liave 
only  twenty  men,  with  scarcely  one  hundred  pounds  of 
powder.  lean  not  long  hold  the  cou';;  vithout  more. 
The  Illinois  are  very  capricious  and  un  rli>i^  ....  If 
I  had  men  enough  to  send  out  to  reconnoit-.  r  the  onemy,  1 
would  liave  done  so  before  this ;  but  I  have  not  enough.  I 
trust  that  you  will  put  it  in  my  power  to  obtain  more,  that 
this  important  colony  may  be  saved." 

(Dated  at)  "Portage  de  Chicagou,  4  Juni,  1683."* 
It  was  in  vain,  however,  that  La  JSalle  appealed  to  Gov- 
ernor La  Barre  for  favor  or  suf)port  in  his  enter[)rise.  That 
functionary,  on  the  conti'ary,  was  meantime  writing  letters 
to  the  Minister  of  Marine  and  Colonies,  disparaging  La 
Salle's  discoveries,  and.  lu'ctending  to  doubt  their  reality ; 
saying,  that  "with  a  score  of  vagabonds  he  had  })illaged  hie 
countrymen  and  })ut  them  to  ransom,  and  was  about  to  set 
himself  up  as  king,  and  that  the  imprudence  of  the  man 
was  likely  to  involve  Caiuida  in  a  war  with  the  Iroquois." 
These  calumnies, being  repeated,  at  lengtii  reached  the  ear  of 
tiie  French  monarch,  who,  under  a  mistaken  notion  of  the 
true  state  of  affairs,  wrote  La  Barre  to  this  eli'ect:  "I  am 
convinced  like  you,  that  the  discovery  of  the  Sieur  de  la 
Salle  is  very  useless,  and  that  such  enterprises  ought  to  be 
prevented  in  the  future,  as  tliey  tend  only  to  debauch  the 
inhabitants  by  the  hope  of  gain,  and  to  diminish  the  rev- 
einie  i'rom  bejivor  skins. "f 

Appai'cntly  cmboldonc*!  by  the  king's  U'tter,  the  governor 
Hcizcd  ujton  Fort  Frontenac,  under  p"ctext  that  La  Salle 
had  not  fultilled  the  cou('itions  of  his  grant  by  maintaining 
there  a  sufticient  garrison;  and,  against  the  remonstrttuces 


*?arluiuin'8  Ln  Sallo  and  tlic  (iivnt  \Vt>8t,  i)p.  'ilMV-HOl. 
"t  Letttr  du  Roy  d  Ln  Jiarve,  Cith  Aont,  l(i88,  in  Margry. 


152 


La  Salle's  Exploits  Continued. 


of  tho  niort<^'ii)^ees  of  the  fort  iiiul  .seigniory,  he  ejected  La 
Salle's  lieutenant,  La  Forrest,  and  put  two  of  his  own 
minions.  La  Cliesnaye  and  La  Ber,  in  charge  of  the  fort. 
No  sooner  were  these  a})pointees  installed  in  office,  than 
they  hegan  living  oif  of  La  Salle's  stores,  and  they  were 
afterward  accused  of  selling  what  luul  been  provided  them 
by  the  government  for  their  own  benefit.  But  not  content 
with  this  arbitrary  stretch  of  power,  and  bent  'ipon  the 
ruin  of  La  Salle,  Gov.  La  Barre  next  sent  tlie  Sieur  de 
Baugis,  an  officer  of  the  king's  dragoons,  to  Fort  St.  Louis, 
and  made  him  the  bearer  of  a  letter  to  La  Salle,  ro(piiring 
his  presence  at  Quebec.  The  position  of  the  latter  had 
now  become  intolerable,  and  lie  resolved  to  proceed  to 
France,  in  order  to  obtain  relief  from  the  vro'vn.  Giving 
the  command  at  Fort  St.  Louis  to  M.  de  Tonty,  and  bid- 
ding adieu  to  his  French  and  Lulian  retainers,  La  Salle 
departed  for  (Canada  5d)out  the  first  of  Octol)er.  Enroute, 
he  met  Do  Baugis,  who  infonued  liim  of  the  nature  of  hi8 
errand.  The  former  submitted  to  the  indignity  with  as 
good  a  grace  as  possible  under  the  circumstances,  and  sent 
a  letter  to  Tonty  to  receive  tho  new  comnuindant  with  duo 
courtesy.  Arrived  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  De  Baugis  and  Tonty 
passed  the  winter  there  together,  thougli  not  very  harmoni- 
ously— the  one  comnuuiding  in  the  name  of  La  Barfe,  and 
the  otlier  representing  the  interests  of  La  Salle. 

hi  the  following  spring  they  both  ]u)d  enough  to  do. 
The  threatened  incursion  of  the  [ro([uois  had  boon  post- 
poned, yet  not  abatidoned.  Fti  the  last  of  March,  1(584, 
those  restless  and  enterprising  warriors,  to  the  numb*  of 
three  hundred — taking  advantage  of  La  Salle's  absen  ", 
and  incited  thereto  by  certain  of  the  provincial  authoriti  ,s 
of  New  York,  who  wished  to  divert  tho  fur-trado  of  tlio 
western  Indians  i'rom  Montreal  to  All)any — ugain  invaded 
the  country  of  the  Illinois,  and  laid  siege  to  the  rock-seated 
fort  of  St.  Louis.  But  it  proved  too  strong  for  their  un- 
skillfid  and  unsteady  assault,  and  after  six  days  ettbrt  they 
retreated  with  loss. 


He  Anives  in  Paris. 


153 


chapti:r  viii. 

1084-1687. 
LAST    (HIEAT    KNTEHPRISE    OF    LA    SALLE. 

The  Sieur  de  hi  Stillo  arrived  from  tlic  west  jit  Quebec 
early  in  Xovember,  1(>88,  and  there  embarked  tor  Old  France. 
He  thus,  unwittiui^ly,  took  a  last  leave  of  the  wide  and  wild 
theater  of  Canada,  where,  for  sixteen  years,  he  had  played 
80  conspicuous  a  part  as  an  explorer  and  negotiator  with 
the  Indians,  sometinxes  achieving  signal  triumi)lis,  but,  more 
often,  exj)eriencing  severe  reverses  of  fortune.  .Vfter  an 
uneventful  ocean  passage,  he  landed  at  Rochelle  on  the 
23d  of  December,  and  thence  traveled  by  diligence  to  Paris; 
then  and  still  the  eije  of  France,  and  the  gay  capital  of  Eu- 
rope. Here  he  was  joined  by  his  lieutenant,  La  Forrest, 
and  later  on,  by  Zenobe  Mend)re,  both  of  whom  had  pre- 
ceded liim  from  Canada.  Here,  too,  he  found  influential 
friends,  who  appreciated  his  merits  aiid  services  to  the 
crown.  Among  the  niunber  was  his  former  patron,  Count 
Frontenac,  who,  though  in  retirement  for  the  time,  gave 
liini  the  benefit  of  his  influence,  still  considerable,  at  court. 

La  Salle  now  prei)ared  and  laid  before  the  Manjuis  do 
vSeignelay,*  Minister  of  Marine  and  C()lonies.^  two  nunno- 
rials  (including  a  petition  for  the  redress  of  his  grievances), 
sotting  forth  his  dis(;overies  and  plans  for  the  colonization 
of  Louisiana.  He  proposed  to  establish  a  fortified  colony 
on  the  river  Colbert,  or  MisHissiiii)i,  some  sixty  leagues 
above  its  mouth,  and  to  nnd\e  it  the  principal  dei)ot  for  the 
trade  of  the  great  river  valley.  To  accomplish  this  design, 
lie  asked  for  one  war  vessel  of  thirty  guns,  a  lew  cannon 
for  the  forts,  and  authority  to  raise,  in  France,  two  hun- 
<li'ed  men,  who  were  to  be  armed   and   maintaiiuMl   at  the 


*H(.'i)»ii(>luy  wiis  rt  son  iind  micooBHor  of  the  gront  Colbert,  who  died 
iieptomlHjr  (I,  Kisa. 


iii-^^'ii 


154 


Lai^t  Great  Enterprise,  of  La  Salle. 


king's  charge  for  one  year.  He  furtlier  proposed,  with  this 
force,  and  an  army  of  Indian  warriors,  to  be  afterward 
raised  by  himself,  to  undertake  tlie  conquest  of  Xew  Biscay 
(Durango),  the  most  northerly  intendency  of  Mexico,  where 
there  were  not  more  than  live  hundred  Spaniards.  La  Salle 
accompanied  his  memoi'ials  with  a  maj),  indicating  his  dis- 
coveries in  the  country  called  Louisiana,  which,  however, 
showed  that  he  still  had  but  an  imperfect  knowledge  of  the 
geography  of  tliat  region. 

In  the  beginning  of  April,  1684,  La  Salle  was  granted 
an  interview  with  his  majesty,  Louis  XIV.,  to  whom  he  un- 
folded his  fascinating  scheme.  The  time  was  opportune  for 
his  application.  The  grand  monarch  had  been  long  incensed 
at  Spain  (with  which  kingdom  he  was  now  again  at  war) 
because  of  her  jealous  exclusion  of  French  ships  from  her 
American  ports,  and  he  was  anxious  to  gain  a  permanent 
footing  on  the  shores  of  the  Mexican  Gulf,  within  easy 
reach  of  his  West  India  possessions.  It  was,  therefore,  not 
(difficult  to  obtain  the  royal  assent  and  patronage  to  an  en- 
terprise which  accorded  so  well  with  his  own  ambition. 
Our  explorer  had  asked  for  the  use  of  only  one  vessel,  but 
the  king,  in  his  generosity,  gave  him  four.  At  the  same 
time,  as  an  act  of  simple  justice  to  La  Salle,  he  wrote  a 
letter  to  Governor  La  Barre,  at  Quebec,  directing  him  to 
restore  to  the  former  i)osses8ion  of  Forts  Frontenac  and  St. 
Louis ;  and  La  Forrest  was  shortly  sent  back  to  Canada, 
empowered  to  re-occui)y  both  forts  in  La  Salle's  name. 

Active  preparations  were  now  begun  for  the  colonizing 
expedition,  and  agents  were  sent  to  Kochelle  and  Rochefort 
to  collect  recruits.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  ex-soldiers 
were  enrolled,  most  of  whom,  unfortunately,  belonged  to 
the  beggar  and  vagabond  class.  There  was,  however,  one 
volunteer  soldier,  muned  Henri  Joutel,  who  came  from  La 
Salle's  own  town  of  Kouen,  and  whose  father  Inid  been  a 
gai<iener  to  the  ('avaliers.  He  proved  a  trusty  and  useful 
ofti('(>r,  and  snbseciuently  became  the  principal  historian  of 
the  exi»editi()n.  La  Salle  had  given  orders  to  engage  three 
or  four  mechanics  in  each  of  the  principal  trades;  but  the 
selection  was  so  poor  that  when  they  reached  their  destina- 


Preparations  for  His  Efpediiion. 


155 


tion  it  wa8  found  that  they  were  very  indifferent  workmen. 
Eight  or  ten  families  of  respectable  people,  and  some  young 
women,  attracted  by  the  prospect  of  matrimony,  offered 
to  go  and  help  found  the  now  colony.  Their  offers  were 
accepted,  and  considerable  advances  were  made  to  them,  as 
well  as  to  the  artisans  and  soldiers.  Several  adventurouB 
young  gentlemen,  of  good  families,  also  joined  the  expedi- 
tion as  volunteers.  Among  them  were  two  nephews  of  La 
Salle,  the  Sieur  de  Moranget,  and  the  Sieur  Cavelier,  the 
latter  being  only  fourteen  years  of  age. 

One  of  the  first  cares  of  the  leader  had  been  to  pro- 
vide for  the  ecclesiastical  part  of  his  enterprise,  in  which  it 
became  necessary  to  procure  a  special  dispensation  from  the 
Pope.  Applying  to  the  superior-general  of  the  Seminary 
of  St.  Sulpice,  the  latter  appointed  three  })rie8ts  to  accom- 
pany him  and  found  a  new  mission.  They  were  Jean  Cav- 
elier, brother  of  La  Salle,  M.  Chefdeville,  his  relative,  and 
M.  de  Maiulle,  called  Dainmaville  by  Joutcl.  As  the  Re- 
collets  had  for  a  number  of  years  actively  seconded  the  de- 
signs of  La  Salle,  he  made  it  a  point  to  take  as  many  as 
three  of  those  fathers  with  him  also.  He  accordingly  ap- 
plied to  the  superior  of  that  order,  who  granted  him  the 
religions  he  desired,  namely:  Father  Zenobious  Membre, 
Huperior  of  the  mission,  Anastasius  Douay,  and  MaximuH 
Le  Clercq. 

Such  was  the  personnel  of  the  soldiers,  artisans,  emi- 
grants, }triests,  and  adventurers,  who  were  to  i)lant  the 
standard  of  France  and  the  cross  on  the  wilderness  shores 
of  far-away  Louisiana.  It  were  needless  to  observe  that, 
for  the  most  part,  they  were  ill-adapted  l)y  discipline  or 
ex{)erience  for  the  stern  task  set  before  them. 

The  fleet,  which  was  furnished  by  the  king,  consisted 
of  four  vessels,  namely  :  Tlie  .loly,  a  royal  ship  or  frigate, 
carrying  thirty-six  guns;  the  Belle,  a  snuill  frigate  of  six 
^uns;  the  Aimable,  a  store-ship;  and  the  St.  Francois,  a 
kotch  of  two  masts.  La  Salle  had  asked  to  be  given  sole 
conunand  of  the  expedition,  with  a  subordinate  officer  and 
two  or  three  pilots  to  !uivigate  the  ships,  as  he  might  direct. 
But  the  Marquis  de  Seignelay  gave  the  comnumd  to  Captt 


156 


Last  Great  Enterprise  of  La  Salle. 


Beaiijeu,  of  the  royal  navy,  whose  authority  wa«  restricted 
to  the  maiiagenient  of  the  vessels  at  sea,  while  La  Salle 
was  to  prescrihe  the  route  they  were  to  take  and  com- 
mand on  shore.  This  division  of  authority  displeased 
both  men,  and  caused  chafing  and  bickering  between 
them  from  the  start.  Yet  it  was  perhaps  the  best  that 
Minister  Seigtielay  could  do  under  the  circumstances,  as 
La  Salle  liimself  was  without  nautical  skill  or  experience. 
Beaujeu  was  a  Franco-Norman,  and  an  officer  of  api)roved 
valor  aud  experience,  but  envious,  self-willed,  irascible, 
and  utterly  wanting  in  the  ([ualifications  requisite  to  the 
founding  of  a  distant  colony.  Moreover,  his  wife  is  said  to 
have  been  dominated  by  the  Jesuits,  a  circumstance  that 
excited  La  Salle's  suspicion.  Ami<l  the  hurry  aud  bustle  of 
the  embarkation.  La  Salle  did  not  forget  to  write  to  his 
aged  mother  a  farewell  letter,  which  has  been  preserved 
among  the  family  papers  of  the  Cavcliers. 

All  things  having  been  provided  necessarv  for  the  vov- 
age,  the  little  fleet,  bearing  about  two  hundred  aud  eighty 
persons,  including  the  crows  of  the  vessels,  sailed  from 
Kochelle  on  the  24th  of  July,  1684.  When  two  or  tljree  days 
out,  the  bowsprit  of  the  frigate  Joly  broke,  which  compelled 
Capt.  Beaujeu  to  return  to  the  portof  Chef  deBois  to  procure 
a  new  one.  This  accomplished,  the  fleet  again  put  to  sea 
on  the  first  day  of  August,  steering  to  the  south,  southwest. 
After  weathering  the  Island  of  Madeira,  they  entered  the 
region  of  the  trade  winds,  and  encountered  two  separate 
storms,  the  second  of  which  dispersed  the  vessels.  The  Joly, 
in  which  La  S'llle  himself  had  taken  passage,  being  a  faster 
sailer  than  the  others,  reached  Petit  Goave,  ou  the  west  coast 
of  St.  Domingo,  on  the  27th  of  Se[»tember,  and  was  soon  after 
joined  by  the  Aimable  aud  the  Belle.  The  St.  Francois,  laden 
with  provisions,  ammunitiou,  and  tools  for  the  new  colony, 
lagged  behind,  and  put  in  at  JN)rt  de  l*aix,  whence  she 
sailed  to  join  the  rest  of  the  fleet;  but  during  the  night, 
while  her  ca{)tain  and  crew  tliought  themselves  safe,  they 
were  surin'ised  by  two  Spanish  juraguas,  which  captured 
the  ketch  and  lier  cargo.  The  loss  of  tliis  vessel  was  prima- 
rily due  to  the  negligence  of  Beaujeu,  who  had  refused  to 


Sea  Voyage  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 


15T 


stop  at  Port  de  Paix,  although  requested  to  do  so  by  La 
Salle.  This  was  the  first  of  the  series  of  disasters  tliat  lefell 
the  expedition.  It  depressed  the  hopes  of  the  colonists  and 
(distressed  the  mind  of  La  8alle,  who,  shortly  before  his  ar- 
rival in  St.  Doniin^^o,  had  been  seized  by  a  violent  fever, 
which  afterward  affected  his  brain,  and  brought  him  to  the 
verge  of  the  grave'.  '  •    ' 

Owing  to  the  continued  illness  of  La  Salle  and  other 
causes,  the  remaining  vessels  of  his  expedition  were  de- 
tained at  the  port  of  Petit  Goave,  for  over  six  weeks. 
During  this  time  they  laid  in  fresh  provisions,  a  store  of 
Indian  corn,  and  all  kinds  of  domestic  fowls  to  stock  the 
new  colony.  The  French  governor-general  of  the  Isles,, 
and  the  governor  and  intendant  of  St.  Domingo,  favored 
the  enterprise  in  every  way,  and  endeavored  to  restore  a 
good  understanding  between  La  Salle  and  Beaujeu,  so 
necessary  to  the  success  of  the  undertaking.  Meanwliile, 
the  soldiers  and  most  of  the  crews  plunged  into  every  kind 
of  debauchery  and  intemperance,  so  common  in  the  West 
Indies,  and  thus  contracted  various  diseases,  of  which  some 
died  in  the  island,  and  others  never  recovered. 

At  length,  on  the  25th  of  Novend)er,  the  s<jundron, 
now  consisting  of  three  vessels,  weighed  anchor  and  again 
put  to  sea.  La  Salle  and  his  trustiest  followers  sailing  in  the 
store-ship  Ainniblc.  They  pursued  their  way  }»ast  the  Cay- 
man Isles,  touched  at  the  Isle  of  Pines  to  take  in  water, 
and  thence  sailed  to  Cape  San  Antonio  at  the  western  ex- 
troniity  of  Cuba,  where  they  anchored.  Attracted  by  the 
heauty  of  the  spot,  the  French  landed  and  rested  here  for 
two  days,  and  approi)riated  to  tlieir  use  some  wine  which 
had  been  left  by  the  S])aniards.  For  fear  uf  injury  by 
northerly  winds,  said  to  l)e  j)revalont  at  the  entrance  to  the 
Gult  of  Mexico,  on  ai)i>roaching  it,  they  twice  lay  to,  but 
happily  entered  on  the  first  of  January,  1685,  when  a  sol- 
onui  mass  of  thanksgiving  was  celebrated  by  Father  Anas- 
tase  Douay.  The  voyagers  were  now  upon  that  grcjit  south- 
ern sea  over  which  no  French  vessel,  carrying  the  nationnl 
colors,  nad  ever  before  sailed.  Steering  northward,  they 
urrivod  on  the  15th  in  sight  of  the  Florida  coast,  when  a 


158 


Last  (h'e.at  Enterprise  of  La  Salle: 


violent  wind  compelled  the  Joly  to  stand  off,  but  the  Aima- 
ble  and  Belle  followed  close  to  the  shore. 

La  Salle  had  been  told  in  St.  Domingo  that  the  Gulf 
Stream  ran  witb  incredil)le  velocity  toward  the  Bahama 
channel.  This  false  information,  together  with  the  incor- 
rect sailing  directions  he  had  received,  set  him  entirely  es- 
tray ;  for  thinking  himself  much  farther  north  than  he  really 
was,  he  not  only  passed  Appalache  Bay  without  recogniz- 
ing it,  but  followed  the  coast  westward  far  beyortd  the  out- 
let of  the  Mississippi,  and  would  have  continued  to  follow 
it,  if  he  and  his  fellow  voyagers  had  not  perceived  by  its 
turning  south,  and  by  the  latitude,  that  they  had  passed 
the  hidden  river.  It  will  be  remembered  that  when  La 
Salle  was  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  three  years  be- 
fore, he  had  obtained  its  latitude,  approximately,  but  not 
the  longitude.  Indeed,  the  mariners  of  that  day  knew  lit- 
tle or  nothing  about  longitude. 

The  Aimable  and  the  Belle  at  last  came  to  anchor, 
about  the  middle  of  February,  at  Espiritu  Santo  Bay,  on 
the  coast  of  Texas,  and  there  awaited  the  arrival  of  Capt. 
Beaujeu,  who  joined  them  a  few  days  later  with  the  Joly. 
A  conference  was  now  held  bv  the  commanders,  which  re- 
suited  in  their  resolving  to  retrace  their  course,  and  they 
returned  ten  or  twelve  leagues  to  a  bay,  which  they  named 
St.  Louis,  since  known  as  St.  Bernard,  or  Matagorda. 
As  provisions  began  to  fail,  Beaujeu  declined  to  further 
continue  the  search  on  that  exposed  coast,  unless  his  crew 
was  provisioned  from  the  stores  of  the  colonists ;  to  which 
La  Salle  ol)jected.  Finally,  the  Sieur  La  Salle,  impatient 
of  further  delay,  anxious  to  get  rid  of  his  disagreeable  col- 
league and  command  alone,  and  thinking  that  the  lagoons 
of  the  coast  might  connect  with  the  most  westerly  arm  or 
outlet  of  the  Mississi{)pi,  decided  to  disembark  his  troops 
and  colonists  on  the  western  shore  of  Matagorda  Bay.  To 
•this  purpose,  boats  were  sent  to  sound  and  buoy  the  inlet  (o 
the  bay.  This  being  done,  the  little  frigate  Belle  was  taken 
in  without  accident  on  the  18th  of  February.  On  the  20tli 
the  Aimable  weighed  anchor  and  started  through  the  nar- 
row channel    leading  into  the  bay;  but  lier  captain,  M. 


He  Lands  on  the  Coast  of  Texas. 


159 


d'Aigron,  being  on  ill  terms  with  La  Salle,  disregarded  his 
orders,  and  either  through  gross  negligence  or  design  drove 
the  vessel  on  the  shoals,  where  she  stranded,  so  that  she 
could  not  be  got  oft'. 

La  Salle  was  sonie  little  distance  from  the  seashore 
when  this  deplorable  disaster  happened,  and  was  on  the 
point  of  returning  to  remedy  it,  when  he  saw  a  large  party 
of  wild  Indians  approaching.  This  necessitated  his  putting 
his  men  under  arms,  and  the  roll  of  their  drums  ])ut  the 
savages  temporarily  to  flight,  but  he  had  trouble  with  them 
afterward.  The  storeship  remained  stranded  for  three 
weeks  or  more,  without  going  to  pieces,  though  full  of 
water.  The  men  saved  all  they  could  from  her  in  boats, 
including  a  quantity  of  flour  and  powder,  but  could  only 
reach  her  in  fair  weather.  At  length  a  gale  arose,  which 
completely  wrecked  the  ship,  and  scattered  the  residue  of 
her  cargo  on  the  waters  of  the  bay. 

After  the  landing  had  been  eventually  eft'ected,  which 
included  eight  iron  cannon  from  the  hold  of  the  Aiiiuible, 
Beaujeu  prepared  to  depart  for  France.  Although  he  and 
La  Salle  had  been  at  variance  throughout  the  long  vo3'age, 
their  oflftcial  relations  became  more  amicable  at  its  close, 
lie  seems,  at  heart,  to  have  wished  La  Salle  and  his  enter- 
prise well,  and  was  no  doubt  anxious  to  have  it  appear  that 
he  had  discharged  his  duty  as  naval  conductor  of  the  expe- 
dition, so  as  to  avoid  censure  from  the  Minister  of  Marine. 
Before  quitting  this  low  and  dangerous  coast,  it  is  stated 
that  he  ottered  to  go  to  Martinique  and  return  with  addi- 
tional provisions  for  the  colony,  but  that  La  Salle,  from 
motives  of  pride  and  over  self-reliance,  declined  the  ofter.* 
On  the  12th  or  14th  of  March,  after  a  polite  leave-taking, 
Beaujeu  sailed  away  in  the  -Toly,  taking  with  him  several 
of  the  better  class  of  the  colonists,  who  had  lost  heart  in 
the  enterprise. 

The  remaining  adventurers,  to  the   number  of  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty,  now  found  themselves  stranded 


*  See  the  corro8i>on(lonco  between  Beaujeu  and  La  Halle,  printed  In 
Vol.  II  of  Margry's  Publiiiations. 


160 


Last  Great  Enterprise  of  La  Salic. 


*     upon  the  borders  of  an  unknown  wilderness,  nearly  live 
hundred  miles  from  the  place  of  their  original  destination, 
and  most  of  them  were  suffering,  more  or  less,  from  dysen- 
tery and  otliei-  diseases  contracted  during  their  long  sea- 
voyage.     The  first  labor  of  the  commander  was  to  throw  up 
an  intrenchment  on  tlic  sandy  beach,  and  to  erect  therein 
a  temporary  building  in  which  to  shelter  his  people  and 
goods,  and  to  protect  them  from  the   depredations  of  the 
neighboring  savage-.     The  house  was  constructed  of  drift- 
wood, cast  up  by  the  sea,  and  of  the  timbers  and  plank 
from  their  wi-ecked  ship.     Leaving  Joutel  and  Moranget 
with  a  hundred  men  at  this  naval  camp,  La  Salle  next  set 
out  with  some  fifty  others,  including  his  brother  and  the 
Fathers  Zcnobe  and  Maxime,  to  explore  the  interior  of  the 
liay,  and  seek  a  [)roper  place  to  locate  his  colony.     The 
captain  or  pilot  of  the  Belle  had  orders  to  sound  the  bay 
and  take  his  vessel  in  as  far  as  he  safely  could.    He  accord- 
ingly advanced  along  the  shore  about  twelve  leagues,  and 
anchored  opposite  a  point  which  took  the  name  of  Hurler, 
from  the  officer  who  was  ap[»ointed  to  command  there. 
This  post  served   as  a  station  between  the  camp  on  the 
seashore  and  the  fort,  which  La  Salle  and  his  party  went 
(on  the  2d  of  April)  to  establish  at  the  western  head  of  the 
bay.     The  site  of  the  latter  was  fixed  on  a  rising  ground, 
two  leagues  up  a  small  river  called  LaVache,  now  La  Vaca, 
and  in  latitude   about  twenty-seven  degrees   north.     The 
building  of  the  foi-t  was  a  work  of  severe  and  protracted 
labor,  since  there  was  no  wood  within  a  league,  and  all  the 
timbers  had  to  be  cut  and  transported  from  a  distance, 
many  of  them  being  brought  from  the  wreck  of  the  Aimable. 
By  the  21st  of  April  (Easter  eve)  the  fort  was  so  far 
advanced  as  to  be  ready  for  jiartial   occupancy,  and  the 
Sieur  de  La  Salle  returned  to  the  main  camp.     The  suc- 
ceeding three  or  four  days  were  devoted  to  celebrating  with 
all  possible'  solenmity,  under  the  circumstances,  the  festi- 
vals of  the  church,  after   which  preparations  were  made 
for  removing  the  women  and  children,  and  such  of  the  sick 
as  could  be  moved,  to  the  new  establishment.     Meanwhile, 
however,  a  l^w  of  the  soldiers  had  deserted,  and  others  had 


iJnv irons  of  his  Texan  Fort. 


161 


died  of  the  (iiseases  contracted  at  St.  Domingo,  notwith- 
standing all  the  care  they  received,  and  the  relief  afforded 
by  the  use  of  broths,  preserves,  and  wine.* 

When  the  fort  was  •  ompleted,  La  Salle  gave  to  it  his 
favorite  name  of  St.  Louis.  The  naval  camp  at  the  mouth 
of  the  bay  was  then  abandoned,  and  Joutel  and  his  com- 
mand rojoinod  the  main  body  of  the  colonists.  The  fort 
was  mounted  with  eight  pieces  of  rusty  old  cannon,  and 
had  a  sort  of  magazine  under  ground  for  the  safe  deposit 
of  the  more  valuable  effects,  in  the  event  of  tire.  Here, 
then,  in  this  lone  spot  on  the  Texan  coast,  the  ensign  of 
France  was  flung  to  the  winds  of  heaven ;  here  a  rude 
chapel  was  raised,  in  which  masses  were  said  and  /espers 
chanted  by  the  missionary  priests  and  friars;  and  here,  too, 
in  the  grassy  prairie  hard  by,  a  common  field  was  opened, 
planted,  and  tilled  for  the  maturing  of  crops.  By  this  early 
yot  transient  occupation,  the  King  of  France  gained  a 
color  of  claim  to  the  country  which,  though  contested  by 
Spain,  was  never  finally  relin<pii8hed  until  the  vast  and  in- 
definitely defined  territory  of  Louisiana  was  ceded  to  the 
ojovcrnment  of  the  United  States. 

The  scenery  environing  Fort  St.  Louis  was  not  without 
its  charms,  and  served  in  a  measure  to  relieve  that  feeling 
of  despondency  arising  in  the  minds  of  the  colonists  from 
their  isolatif»n  and  misfortunes.  At  the  foot  of  the  stock- 
ado  inclosure  flowed  the  river,  swarming  with  fish  and 
water-fowl,  and  beyond  that  the  ])ay,  bordered  by  reedy 
marshes,  stretched  away  to  the  south-east;  while  to  the 
south-west  lay  two  large  ponds,  with  a  forest  in  the  dis- 
tance. To  the  north  and  west  rolled  a  sea  of  grassy  prairie, 
dotted  at  certain  seasons  with  grazing  buflalo  and  wild  goats, 


*  8ee  Tie  Clercq'e  (Father  Chretien)  "First  E8tal)li8hment  of  the 
Faith  in  New  France"  (Vol.  II),  for  an  account  of  La  Salle's  attempt  to 
reach  tlie  Mississippi  by  sea,  and  of  the  establishment  of  a  French  col- 
ony at  St.  Louis  or  Matagorda  Bay.  It  is,  in  some  respects,  the  best  coa- 
temj)oraneou8  narrative  extant  of  that  historical  voyage.  The  discreet 
father  only  hints  at  the  unfurtun".i.e  disagreement  between  La  Halle  and 
Beaujeu,  but  this  matter  is  set  forth  in  detail  by  Joutel  and  others. 

11 ...  .ii 


162 


Last  Great  Enterprise  of  La  Salle. 


^m 
M 


and  decked  with  the  beautiful  wild  flower«  for  which  Texas 
is  still  remarkable.  It  was,  in  truth,  as  si  act.'  demonstrated, 
a  goodly  land  for  the  habitation  of  civilized  man.  But  the 
degraded  aborigines,  with  such  uncouth  nanu  s  as  Guoaquis, 
Guinets,  Bahamos,  and  Quealomouches,  who  then  roamed 
the  coast  of  this  southern  country,  had  no  thought  of  cul- 
tivating the  soil,  or  of  any  other  useful  labor,  beyond  the 
requirements  of  a  most  meager  subsistence. 

Having  provided  as  well  as  he  could  for  the  comfort 
and  safety  of  his  people,  La  Salle  now  prepared  to  renew  his 
search  for  the  hidden  river.  But  lie  tirst  found  it  necessary 
to  make  open  war  on  the  neighboring  tribes  of  Indians, 
whose  repeated  acts  of  hostility  gave  him  no  peace;  and  lie 
accordingly  set  out  for  this  purpose  on  the  13th  of  October, 
with  sixty  soldiers,  wearing  wooden  corslets  to  protect 
them  against  the  arrows  of  the  savages.  In  different  en- 
gagements with  them  he  killed  some,  wounded  others,  and 
put  others  still  to  Hight.  The  execution  thus  done  among 
the  natives  inspired  them  with  terror,  and  rendered  the 
colony  somewdiat  more  secure  than  before. 

About  the  31st  of  October,  1685,  putting  doutel  in  com- 
mand at  the  fort,  with  provisions  for  several  months.  La  Salle 
and  his  brother,  with  some  fifty  well-armed  men,  started  os- 
tensibly to  seek  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  The  accounts 
we  have  of  this  long  and  rambling  journey  are  rather 
vague  and  contradictory.  The  leader  himself  was  reticent 
as  to  his  plans  and  purposes,  and  the  story  told  by  the  elder 
Cavelier  is  not  very  intelligible.  They  first  passed  eastward 
along  the  northern  shore  of  the  bay,  and  examined  the  out- 
lets of  the  rivers  emptying  into  it,  none  of  which  seemed 
large  enough  to  form  an  arm  of  the  Mississippi.  La  Salle 
thence  turned  northward  and  westward  and  traveled  the 
country  a  long  distance,  in  the  hope,  it  would  seem, 
of  reaching  the  borders  of  Mexico.  At  length,  on  the 
13th  of  February,  1686,  having  come  to  a  large  river, 
he  built  a  small  fort  on  its  banks,  in  which  he  left  a 
part  of  his  men,  and  with  the  others  continued  to  explore 
the  country  in  the  direction  of  Mexico.  Still  advancing, 
he   visited  several  villages  and    tribes,  who   treated  him 


His  Wanderings  in  Texas. 


168 


kindly,  and  from  whom  he  gained  considerable  information 
in  regard  to  the  Spaniards,  who  were  generally  hated  by 
the  Indians  in  Texas.  Under  other  circumstances,  it  would 
have  been  no  very  difficult  task  to  have  gathered  an  army 
of  native  warriors  and  led  them  across  the  Rio  del  Norte ; 
but  La  Salle  was  without  horses  and  a  sufficiency  of  men 
to  prosecute  his  contemplated  invasion  of  Xew  Biscay.* 
He  was  away  on  this  expedition  longer  tlian  he  had  expected, 
owing  to  delays  in  rafting  over  so  many  rivers,  and  tlie  ne- 
cessit}',  wherever  he  went  into  camp,  of  throwing  up  in- 
trenchments  to  guard  against  Indian  assaults.  Retracing 
their  tortuous  course,  the  leader  and  his  followers  reached 
Fort  St.  Louis  in  the  latter  part  of  Marcli,  tattered,  weather- 
beaten,  and  worn  out  by  long  marchings  and  vigils,  but 
bringing  with  them  a  welcome  supply  of  fresh  meat  for  the 
other  colonists. 

Shortly  before  this  the  Belle,  the  only  remaining  vessel 
of  the  colony,  was  lost  on  the  farther  side  of  the  ba}',  though 
it  was  some  weeks  before  particulars  of  the  accident  were 
received  at  the  fort.  Through  a  lack  of  precaution  on  the 
part  of  those  in  charge  of  her,  she  was  wrecked  with  all  her 
stores,  consisting  of  thirty-six  barrels  of  flour,  a  quantity  of 
powder,  some  tools,  and  a  lot  of  the  clothing  and  personal 
eft'ects  belonging  to  La  Salle.  The  priest  Chefdeville,  the 
pilot,  and  four  of  the  crew  escaped  with  difficulty  in  a 
canoe,  but  managed  to  save  some  of  the  papers  and  luggage 
of  their  chief.  Meantime,  La  Salle  himself  fell  seriously  ill, 
the  fatigues  of  his  great  journey,  and  the  tidings  of  this- 
last  misfortune,  having  overcome  his  ph^'sical  strength. 
"  In  truth  (says  the  priest  Cavelier,  in  his  lielation  du  Voy- 
age)^ after  the  loss  of  the  vessel,  which  deprived  us  of  our 
only  means  of  returning  to  France,  we  had  no  resource  but 
in  the  Arm  guidance  of  my  brother,  whose  death  each  of  us 
would  have  regarded  as  his  own."  So  long  as  the  little 
frigate  remained,  La  Salle  had  the  means  of  following 
along  the  coast  and  finding  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi, 

*AccordiDg  to  Mr.  Shea,  La  Salle  was  lured  by  Penaloao,  a  renegade 
Spanish  governor  of  New  Mexico,  to  undertake  the  conquest  of  the  rich 
mines  in  northern  Mexico. 


164 


Last  Great  Enterprise  of  La  Salic. 


and  he  might  also  have  sailed  to  St.  Domingo  and  ob- 
tained succor  for  his  colony.  But  now,  all  his  plans  heing 
disconcerted  and  hiB  attairs  brought  to  a  crisis,  he  resolved 
to  try  and  reach  Canada  by  land. 

This  resolution  was  the  result  of  dire  necessity,  and  he 
must  have  anticipated  the  difficulties  and  hazards  likely 
to  attend  its  execution.  Preparations  were  speedily  n.Mlo 
for  the  journey ;  and  on  April  22, 1686.  after  celebrating  tlio 
divine  mysteries  in  the  little  chapel.  La  Salle  issued  from 
the  gate  of  the  fort,  accompanied  by  his  brother,  his  nephew 
Mjoranget,  the  friar  Douay,  the  younger  Duhaut,  a  German 
from  Wittemburg  named  Hiens,*  and  others  to  the  number 
of  twenty  in  all.  They  traveled  on  foot,  each  man  carrying 
his  pack  and  weapons  on  his  shoulders,  and  shaped  their 
sreneral  course  to  the  no>"th-east.  Crossing  the  Colorado  on 
a  raft,  they  journeyed  through  a  pleasant  country  of  altei- 
nate  prairie  and  woodland,  decked  with  wild  flowers,  and 
clothed  in  the  fresh  green  liver}-  of  spring.  After  passing 
the  Brazos  and  Trinity,  and  other  smaller  rivers,  they 
reached  the  habitations  of  the  Cenis  Indians  (then  a  power- 
ful tribe,  but  now  long  since  extinct),  where  they  experi- 
enced a  friendly  reception.  Here  the  travelers  were  sur- 
prised to  see  saddles,  bridles,  clothing,  and  various  other 
articles  of  Spanish  manufacture,  which  these  Indians  had 
obtained  from  their  allies,  tlie  Comanches,  who  inhabited 
the  country  bordering  New  Mexico.  After  quitting  the 
Cenis  village,  La  Salle  and  his  company  advanced  eastNvard 
as  far  as  the  river  Neches,t  in  the  vicinity  of  which  both 
himself  and  nephew  were  attacked  l)y  malarial  fever.  This 
mishap  caused  a  delay  of  some  two  months,  and  proved 
fatal  to  the  success  of  the  expedition.  Wlien  the  sick  leader 
was  sufficiently  convalescent  to  travel,  he  found  tliat  his  am- 
munition was  well  nigh  spent,  and  that  four  of  his  men  had 

*  Iliens  wn8  un  ox-bucenneor,  who  liail  joined  La  8all«'H  expedition 
at  I'"tit  (ioave,  In  St.  Doniiiigo. 

tTlie  name  Tt'jas  or  Texas  wan  HrHt  applied  (by  the  Spaniards)  iisa 
loeal  designation  to  a  spot  on  the  river  Neelies,  in  the  Cenis  territory, 
whence  it  extended  to  the  whole  country. — Yoakaiu's  History  of  Texa**, 
p.  62. 


His  Journey  to  the  Cenis  Villaf/es. 


165 


deserted  to  the  Assonis  Iiidians.  Under  these  untoward 
circumstances,  no  better  alternative  presented  itself  than 
to  return  to  Fort  St.  Louis.  Their  return  march  was 
greatly  facilitated  by  the  use  of  some  horses,  which  La 
Salle  had  bouglitof  the  Cenis,  and  they  met  with  no  serious 
accident  on  the  way,  excepting  the  loss  of  one  of  their  men, 
who  was  seized  by  an  alligator  while  attempting  to  cross  a 
largo  river,  supposed  to  Ir've  been  the  Colorado. 

The  temporary  excitement  produced  in  the  little  band 
of  colonists  by  the  return  of  their  chief  soon  gave  way  to 
a  feeling  of  dejection  akin  to  despair,  and  I^a  Salle  had  a 
Lard  task  to  sustain  their  droo[)ing  spirits.  But  the  jour- 
ney to  Canada,  by  way  of  the  Illinois,  was  their  only  hope; 
and  the  chief,  after  a  brief  rest,  prepared  to  renew  the  at- 
tempt. In  the  month  of  November,  while  thus  occupied,  he 
was  again  taken  sick  with  a  Hux,  which  prostrated  him  for 
four  or  five  weeks.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he  was  once 
more  able  tt;  travel,  and  all  hands  at  the  fort  were  busied  in 
making  from  their  scanty  stores  an  outfit  for  his  traveling 
party.  Christmas  day  again  came,  and  was  solemnly  ob- 
served. "  There  was  a  midiiight  mass  in  the  chapel,  where 
Menibre,  Douay,  Cj'velie:,  and  their  ]»riestly  brethren,  stood. 
in  vestments  stru.  i^ely  contrasting  with  the  rude  temple 
and  ruder  garb  of  the  w<>rshi})ers.  And  as  Membre  ele- 
vated the  consecrated  wafer,  and  the  lamps  burned  diiu 
through  the  clouds  of  incense,  the  kneeling  group  drew 
from  the  daily  miracle  such  consolation  as  true  Catholics 
alone  can  know."  * 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  7th  of  .lanuary,  1G87, 
that  La  Salle  mustered  his  small  comi»any  of  adventurers 
for  this  his  last  journey.  The  five  horses  purvhased  from 
the  Cenis  Indians  were  brought  into  the  inclosed  area  of  the 
fort,  and  loaded  for  the  march.  Assembled  bore  was  the 
jKior  renuumt  of  tlie  ct)louy — those  who  were  to  go,  and 
those  who  were  to  stay  behind.  The  latter  numbered  some- 
thing over  twenty  {>ersoiis.  There  was  the  Sieur  Barbier, 
who  was  to   eoninumd    in   ]»'  ce  of  .loutel  ;   the   Manpiis 


«p 


Parknian's  Lu  fc>alle  nud  the  Ure-it  W.-et,  p.  373. 


166 


Last  Great  Enterprise  of  La  Salle. 


de  Sablonniere,  a  dissolute  young  nobleman;  the  two  friars, 
Membre  and  Le  Clercq,  and  the  young  priest  Chefdeville ; 
also  a  surgeon,  some  few  soldiers  and  laborers,  seven  \\  omen 
and  girls,  and  a  few  children — all  of  whom  were  "doomed 
in  this  deadly  exile  to  wait  the  issues  of  the  journey,  and 
the  possible  arrival  of  a  tardy  succor."  La  Salle  had  pre- 
viously caused  an  earthwork  to  be  thrown  up  around  the 
habitations  of  the  colonists  adjoining  the  fort,  and  had 
taken  other  precautions  for  their  safety.  He  now  made 
them  a  farewell  address,  full  of  touching  pathos,  and 
delivered  with  that  engaging  air  which  this  uidiappy  man 
sometimes  assumed,  and  which  moved  them  all  to  tears. 
Then  followed  the  painful  parting  scene.  "  We  separated 
from  each  other,"  says  Joutel,  "in  a  manner  so  tender  and 
80  sad,  that  it  seemed  we  all  had  the  presentiment  that  we 
should  never  meet  again."  *  At  length,  equipped  and  armed 
for  the  journey,  the  adventurers  tiled  from  tho  gate,  crossed 
the  little  river  La  Vache,  and  held  their  slow  march  over 
the  prairie  to  the  north-east,  "till  intervening  woods  shut 
Fort  St.  Louis  forever  from  their  sight." 

La  Salle's  traveling  party  was  made  up  of  some  good 
and  several  bad  men,  and  was  perhaps  not  wholly  of  \m 
own  selection.  It  comprised  his  brother  and  their  two 
i\  phews,  Moranget,  and  the  boy  Cavelier,  now  aged  about 
<^eventeen;  the  friar,  Anastase  Douay;  the  trusty  soldier, 
Joutel ;  Duhaut,  a  man  of  reputed  respectable  birth  and 
education;  Liotot,  the  surgeon  of  the  company;  Iliens,  the 
German  and  ex-buceanoer ;  the  Sieur  de  Marie;  Teissier,  a 
pil(^t ;  L'Archeveque,  a  servant  of  Duhaut,  and  a  few 
others,  numbering  in  all  seventeen.  Besides  these,  there 
was  Nika,  La  Salle's  Shavvanoe  hunter,  who,  together  with 
an(^t.her  Indian,  "  had  twice  crossed  the  oc<'an  with  hini, 
and  still  followed  his  fortunes  with  an  admiring  though 
undemonstrative  tidelity,"  f 

I'liVHuing  the  same  route  as  before,  the  travelers  iid- 
vanced  over  a  level  country  of  grassy  prairies  and  wooded 


♦Joutel's  Journal  Historiquo. 

t  Purknian's  iM  Halle  and  tlio  Great  Woat,  j).  397. 


Murder  qf  his  Nephew^  Moranget. 


167 


rivor  bottoms,  meeting  on  tlie  way  a  war  party  of  the 
Bahamos,  and  several  other  bands  of  Indians,  more  or  less 
friendly.  They  successively  crossed  the  Colorado  and  the 
Brazos  in  a  portable  canoe  covered  with  bullocks'  hides,  and, 
after  passing  several  other  smaller  streanis,  encamped  neU^ 
a  western  tributary  of  the  Trinity,  on  the  15th  of  March. 

La  Salle  was  now  in  the  vicinity  of  some  corn  and 
beans,  which  he  had  concealed  in  a  pit  during  his  former 
expedition,  and  he  sent  seven  of  his  men  to  tind  it.  They 
were  Duhaut,  Liotot,  Ilieiis,  Teissier,  L'Arch(!ve(pie,  Nika, 
the  Indian  hunter,  and  S.^get,  a  servant  of  the  chief.  They 
found  and  opened  the  cadie,  but  its  contentH  were  unHt  for 
use.  In  returning,  however,  they  killed  two  butialoes,  and 
sent  Saget  back  to  the  main  camp  tor  liorsei-!  to  bring  in 
the  meat.  The  next  <li»y  La  Halle  (U'llered  Moranget  and 
Be  Marie  to  go  with  his  sorvaut  sin<l  the  horses  to  the 
liunters'  camp.  Pro^'octling  on  their  cn-and,  the  latter 
found  the  carcasses  of  the  buffaloes  cu^  up  and  placed  upon 
a  8cafF(>ld  to  dry.  In  accordance  with  a  custom  among 
hunters,  Duhaut  and  his  companions  had  put  aside  the 
nianvw  bones  and  other  choice  bits  of  the  game  for  their 
own  jse.  Seeing  this,  the  hot-headed  Moranget,  wjiose 
•juarrelsome  tem})er  had  before  involved  him  in  difHculties, 
lell  into  a  th^o  and  abused  and  menaced  I)uhaut  and  his 
friends,  and  ended  by  appropriating  both  the  snu)ked  meat 
a'ld  the  bone,  to  himself.  This  outburst  of  passion  seems 
to  have  kiiulled  into  an  avenging  tiamc  an  old  grudge 
which  Duhaut  had  cherirtlM'/J  toward  Moranget,  as  well  as 
his  uncle. 

Duhaut  thereupon  withdrew,  and  privately  conspired 
with  Liotot,  Hiens,  and  others  of  their  party,  U[)on  a  bloody 
revenge.  Waiting  until  night,  when  the  Sieur  Moranget, 
their  principal  victim,  after  taking  his  turn  at  watch,  had 
fallen  asleep,  the  consj)irators  silently  approached  the  spot 
where  he  la^%  and  while  the  others  stood  by  with  their  guns 
cocked,  Liotot  brai?ied  him  with  an  ax.  Nika,  the  Indian, 
and  Saget,  La  Salle't*  fuutman,  were  dispatched  in  the  same 
niamier.  The  last  two  died  without  a  struggle,  but  it  ap- 
pears to  have  been  othtjrwise  with  Moranget.     The  sa(!riiico 


168 


Last  Great  Enterprise  of  La  Salle. 


of  the  unoft'ending  Nika  and  Saget  shows  the  deep-seated 
villany  of  the  assassins ;  hut  it  was  no  douht  made  in  order 
to  cut  off  all  communication  with  the  chief,  whom  they 
had  singled  out  as  their  next  and  main  victim.  And  so 
it  often  happens  that  the  commission  of  one  bloody  crime 
leads  on  to  another,  and  still  another,  until  at  last  the  per- 
petrator expiates  his  offenses  with  his  own  life. 

Meanwhile,  La  Salle  himself  was  at  the  main  camp, 
six  miles  or  more  away,  impatiently  waiting  the  return  of 
his  nephew  and  part3\  Two  days  were  thus  passed  in 
painful  suspense,  when,  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  of 
March,  he  started  out  in  search  of  his  missing  relative  and 
servant,  accompanied  only  by  Father  Douay  and  an  Indian 
guide.  Joutel,  whom  he  had  at  first  intended  to  take  with 
him,  was  left  in  charge  of  the  camp,  with  instructions  to 
keep  a  strict  watch ;  for  it  seems  that  La  Salle,  always 
more  or  less  suspicious,  had  observed  the  uiutinous  spirit 
of  some  of  his  men. 

"All  the  way,"  writes  Father  Pouay,  "  he  conversed 
with  me  of  matters  of  piety,  grace,  and  predestination;  ex- 
patiating o'.  ;  ais  obligations  to  God  for  having  saved  him 
f'^om  so  many  dangers  during  the  last  twenty  years  that  he 
had  traversed  America.  .  .  .  Suddenly,  I  saw  him 
plunged  into  a  deep  melancholy,  for  which  he  himself  could 
not  account;  he  was  so  troubled  that  I  did  not  know  him 
any  longer;  (and)  as  this  state  was  far  from  being  natural 
to  him,  I  roused  him  from  iiis  lethargy.  Two  leagues  after, 
we  found  the  bloody  cravat  of  his  lackey ;  he  perceived  two 
eagles  flying  over  his  head,  and  at  the  same  time  discovered 
some  of  his  peo[»le  on  the  edge  of  the  river,  which  he  ap- 
proached, asking  for  his  nephew.  They  answered  in  broken 
words,  sliowing  us  where  we  &lu)uld  find  him.  We  pro- 
ceeded some  stejis  along  the  bank  to  the  fatal  spot,  where 
two  of  these  murderers  were  hidden  in  the  grass,  one  on 
each  side  with  guns  cocked;  one  missed  Monsieur  de  la 
Salle,  the  other  firing  at  the  same  time  shot  him  in  the 
head  ;  he  died  an  hour  after,  on  the  9th  of  March,  1G87. 

"  I  expected  the  sauic  fate,  but  this  danger  did  not  oc- 
cupy n»y  thoughts  )  ■  ■ :    '■  "at'Hl  with  grief  at  so  cruel  a  spec- 


His  Assassination.- 


-km 


t^cle,  I  saw  him  fall  a  step  from  me,  with  his  face  all  full  of 
blood ;  I  watered  it  with  my  tears,  exhorting  him  to  the 
best  of  my  power  to  die  well.  He  had  confessed  and  ful- 
filled his  devotion  just  before  we  started  ;  he  had  still  time 
to  recapitulate  a  part  of  his  life,  and  I  gave  him  absolution. 
.  .  .  Meanwhile  his  murderers,  as  much  alarmed  as  I, 
began  to  strike  their  breasts  and  detest  their  blindness.  I 
could  not  leave  the  spot  where  he  had  expired  without  hav- 
ing buried  him,  as  well  as  I  could,  after  which  I  raised  a 
cross  over  his  grave."* 

Such  is  the  simple  and  pathetic  narrative  of  the  only 
eye-witness,  who  has  given  us  an  account  of  La  Salle's  un- 
happy death.  So  much  of  this  narration  as  relates  to  the 
alleged  ma'iifestatlon  of  remorse  by  his  murderers,  to  the 
burial  of  his  body  and  the  erection  of  a  cross  over  it,  is  ex- 
pressly contradicted  by  Joutel,  and  is  not  sustained  by  any 
writing  of  the  elder  Cavelier.  Indeed,  it  is  affirmed  that 
Douay  told  a  different  story  at  the  time ;  and  it  would  seem 
that  he  invented  these  fictions  to  soften  the  atrocity  of  the 
crime  itself,  as  also  to  sup])ort  his  own  character  as  a  priest 
and  num  of  resolution.  As  8Up])lementary  to  the  above, 
we  here  give  M.  Joutel's  account  of  the  catastrophe : 

"  He  (La  Salle)  seemed  to  have  some  presage  of  his 
misfortune,  iiicpiiring  of  some  whether  the  Sieurs  Liotot, 
Hiens,  and  l)uhaut  had  not  expressed  some  discontent. 
And  not  hearijig  any  thing  of  it,  he  could  not  forbear  set- 
ting out  the  20tli,  with  Father  Aiuistasius  (Douay)  and  an 
Indian,  leaving  me  the  comnuind  in  his  absence,  and  charg- 
ing me  to  go  the  rounds  about  our  camp,  to  prevent  being 
surprised,  ami  to  make  a  smoke  for  him  to  direct  his  way 
in  case  of  need.  When  he  came  near  the  dwelling  (camp) 
of  the  murderers,  looking  out  sharp  to  discover  something, 
he  observed  eagles  fiuttering  about  a  sjiot  not  far  from  them, 
which  made  him  believe  they  hid  found  some  carrion,  and 
he  fired  a  shot,  which  was  the  signal  of  his  death  and  for- 
warded it. 


•  Soe  Douay's  Narrative,  in  yheas  Discov.  and  Explo.  of  the  Miss. 
Val.,  pp.  2ia-U. 


170 


Last  G-reat  Enterprise  of  La  Salic. 


"The  conspirators,  hearing  the  shot,  concluded  it  was 
M.  de  la  Salle,  w  o  was  come  to  seek  them.  They  made 
ready  their  arms,  >nd  provided  to  surprise  him.  Duhaut 
passed  the  river,  with  Larcheveque.  The  first  of  them  spy- 
ing M.  de  la  Salle  at  a  distance,  as  he  was  coming  toward 
them,  advanced  and  hid  themselves  among  the  high  weeds, 
to  wait  liis  passing  by;  so  that  M.  de  la  Salle,  suspecting 
nothing,  and  having  not  so  much  as  charged  his  piece  again, 
saw  the  aforesaid  Larcheveque  at  a  good  distance  from  him, 
and  immediately  asked  for  his  nephew,  Moranget,  to  which 
Larcheveque  answered  that  he  was  along  the  river.  At  the 
same  time  the  traitor,  Duhaut,  fired  his  piece  and  shot  M. 
de  la  Salle  through  the  head,  so  that  he  dropped  down  dead 
on  the  spot,  without  speaking  one  word,  .  .  .  This  is 
the  exact  relation  of  that  murder,  as  it  was  presently  after 
told  me  by  Father  Anastasius. 

"  The  shot  which  had  killed  M.  de  la  Salle  was  also 
a  signal  of  the  murder  to  the  (other)  assassins  for  them  to 
draw  near.  They  all  repaired  to  the  place  where  the 
wretched  dead  corpse  lay,  which  they  barbarously  stripped 
to  the  shirt,  and  vented  their  malice  in  vile  and  opprobri- 
ous language.  The  surgeon,  Liotot,*  said  several  times,  in 
scorn  and  derision :  '  There  thou  liest,  great  bashaw ! 
There  thou  liest!'  In  conclusion,  they  dragged  it  naked 
among  the  bushes,  and  left  it  exposed  to  the  ravenous 
wild  beasts."f 

The  precise  locality  of  this  gloomy  tragedy,  or  suc- 
cession of  tragedies,  can  not  now  be  determined.  It  is  said 
(correctly,  we  think)  to  have  occurred  on  a  small  tributary 
of  the  Trinity,  since  it  was  only  about  three  days  slow  jour- 
ney from  thence  to  the  nuiin  trunk  of  that  river.  But  Mr. 
Sparks,  in  his  Life  of  Lii  Salle,  s.iys,  ^' the  place  was  proba- 
bly on  one  of  tiie  streams  flowinf^^  into  the  Brazos  from  the 

*  Arcording  to  Tonty's  Ilolation,  Liotot's  grievance  ngainst  La  Sallo 
was,  that  in  the  journey  along  the  sea-coast,  lie  had  compelled  the 
brother  of  Liotot,  who  could  not  keep  up,  to  return  to  the  cnmp,  and 
that  in  returning  alone  he  was  killed  by  the  savages;  but  this  is  not 
t'onflrmed  by  Joutel. 

tSee  Joutel's  Journal,  printed  in  the  Hist.  Coil's  of  La.,  edited  by 
B.  F.  French,  N.  Y.,  1840,  Part  L,  pp.  143,  144. 


His  Character. 


Ill 


«a8t, — -perhaps   forty  or  fifty  miles  nortli    of  tlie  present 
town  of  Washington,  Texas." 

Thus  violently  ended,  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years 
und  four  months,  the  extraordinary  career  of  Robert  Cave- 
lier,  Sieur  de  la  Salle ;  a  man  celebrated  alike  for  his 
daring  and  discoveries,  his  merits  and  misfortunes.  We 
<!Ould  have  wished  that  his  life  had  been  longer  spared,  so 
that  he  might  have  found  means  to  extricate  the  remnant 
of  his  Texan  colony  from  impending  destruction.  The 
character  of  La  Salle  has  been  drawn  by  many  diflrerent 
pens,  yet,  in.  general,  they  have  found  it  easier  to  sum  up 
his  defects  and  failures  than  to  set  in  a  proper  light  his 
transcendent  virtues.  His  reputation  as  a  successful  ex- 
plorer and  colonizer  would  probably  have  stood  higher 
with  his  contemporaries  and  posterity,  if  he  had  never  em- 
barked from  France  on  his  last  expedition  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi ;  but  then  his  name  would  be  divested  of  much 
of  that  dramatic  and  tragic  interest  with  which  it  is  en- 
shrouded. 

Hennepin,  in  the  preface  to  liis  '^Nevv  Discovery," 
written  chiefly  tor  Dutch  and  English  readers,  uses  this  harsh 
language  in  regard  to  La  Salle's  melanchcjly  fate :  "  God 
knows  that  I  am  sorry  for  ids  inifortunate  death  ;  but  the 
Judgments  of  the  Almighty  are  just,  for  tliat  gentleman 
wuH  kiHed  by  one  of  bis  own  men,  who  wept;  at  hist  seiisi- 
blii  I  hilt  hn  (»x|i(iHed  tlicin  to  visible  dangers  without  any 
necessity,  and  for  his  private  design." 

\gain,  in  his  "  Nouveau  Voyage,"  or  contiiiuatio:i  of 
his  "New  Discovery,"*  he  writes  in  a  different  strain,  as 
follows:  "Thus  fell  the  Sieur  iiobert  Cavelier  de  la  Salle, 
a  man  of  considerable  merit,  constant  in  adversities,  fear- 
less, generous,  courteous,  ingenious,  and  cai)able  of  every- 
tliing.  He  labored  for  twenty  years  together  to  civilize 
the  savage  humors  of  a  great  number  of  barbarous  people 
among  whom  he  traveled,  and  had  the  ill-hap  t"  be  mas 
sacred  by  his  own  servants,  whom  he  had  enriched,  lie 
died  in  the  vigor  of  his  age,  in   tlie  midtldJe  of  his  coui'se, 


•English  edition.  London,  mm,  \>.  'M. 


:_,.  ; ^  1    ^J , 


172 


hast  Great  Enterprise  of  La  Salle. 


before  he  could  execute  the  design  he  had  formed  on  New 
Mexico."  Elsewhere,  in  the  same  work,  Hennepin  further 
Stays  :  "  La  Salle  was  a  person  qualified  for  the  greatest  un- 
dertakings, and  may  he  justly  ranked  amongst  the  most 
famous  travelers  that  ever  were." 

Henri  Joutel,  the  fullest  and  most  reliable  historian  of 
La  Salle's  Texas  expedition,  has  drawn  the  character  of  his 
commander  in  these  measured  words  : 

"  He  had  a  capacity  and  talent  to  make  his  enterprises 
successful;  his  constancy  and  courage,  and  extraordinary 
knowledge  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  which  rendered  him  fit 
for  anything,  together  with  an  indefatigable  habit  of  body, 
which  made  him  surmount  all  difliculties,  would  have  pro- 
cured a  glorious  issue  to  his  undertaking,  had  not  all  these 
excellent  qualities  been  counterbalanced  by  too  haughty  a 
behavior,  whicn  sometimes  made  him  insupportable,  and 
by  a  rigidness  to  those  under  him,  which  at  last  drew  on 
him  their  implacable  hatred,  and  was  the  occasion  of  his 
death.* 

This  careful  Cbtimate  seems  just  and  impartial,  though 
Joutel  did  not  know  La  Salle  at  his  best,  but  rather  when 
liis  constitution  was  broken  by  disease,  and  iiis  temper 
soured  by  misfortunes.  Moreover,  he  lived  too  near  him  to 
fully  appreciate  the  magnitude  and  significance  of  his  serv- 
ices as  a  pioneer  of  civilization  in  Ncrth  America.  From 
the  charge  of  harshness  antl  tyranny  toward  his  men.  La 
Salle,  in  a  letter  written  to  a  business  correspondent  some 
five  years  before  his  death,  thus  defends  himself: 

''  Tiie  facility  f  :un  said  to  want  is  out  of  place  with  tills 
people,  H'iio  are  libertines  for  the  most  part;  and  to  Indulge 
them  means  to  tolerate  blasphemy,  drunkenness,  lewclness, 
and  license,  incompatible  with  any  kind  of  order.  It  will 
not  be  found  thai  I  have,  in  any  case  whatever,  treated  any 
man  harshly,  except  for  l)|p8phemicH  and  other  such  crimes 
openly  committed.  ...  I  urn  a  Christiiin,  and  do  not 
want  to  bear  the  burden  of  their  crimes." 


♦.Toutel's  Jimvmil  IJkloiUjne. 


His  Charader. 


173 


Although  proud,  shy,  cold,  and  austere  in  his  general 
deportment,  La  Salle  was  not  incapable  of  inspiring  strong 
attachments  among  those  to  whom  he  gave  his  confidence, 
and  who  had  the  penetration  to  discern  the  lofty  bearing  of 
his  genius.  He  required  every  sacrifice  at  the  hands  of  the 
men  in  his  employ,  but  he  himself  led  the  way  in  every 
difficulty  and  every  danger.  He  was  something  of  an  en- 
thusiast, and  about  his  various  schemes  and  enterprises 
there  was  much  that  appeared  visionary  and  impracticable  ; 
yet  such  was  his  persevering  energy  that  he  succeode<l  in 
many  things  where  others  would  have  faltered  and  failed, 
and  his  failure  to  found  a  colony  at  the  outlet  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi was  largely  due  to  circumstances  beyond  his  per- 
sonal control. 

In  no  one  [)articular  was  his  superiority  over  contem- 
porary explorers  more  manifest  than  in  his  intercourse  with 
the  aborigines  of  the  country,  whom  he  every-where  made 
subservient  to  his  designs.     He  was  greatly  respected  by 
the  Indians  throughout  the  Mississippi  Valley.     This  was 
attributable  not  only  to  his  liberal  and  conciliatory  policy 
in  dealing  with  them,  but  to  his  grave  and  taciturn  man- 
ner, which  comported  well  with  their  own  ideas  of  dignity 
and  decorum.     It  is  worthy  of  remark,  in  passing,  that  he 
nearly  always  traveled  with  a  train  of  ecclesiastics,  showing 
u  preference  for  the  RecoUets.     They  went  not  merely  as 
missionaries  to  convert  the  heathen,  »/ut  to  assist  him  in  his 
enterprises  and  wriln  up  liis  doings,  and  were  among  his 
most  efficient  and  faithful  coadjutors.     He  was  not  a  pru- 
ihint  or  successful  business  man  ;  liis  transactions  as  an  In- 
dian  trader  and   fur-dealer,  though  on  a  large  scale,  were 
i|Bnt|)|y  nllen(le<(  with  loss,  and   he  died  hopelessly  Insol- 
veni.     His  ambition  was  fume — liuue  um  a  (Ijsi'ovcrer  and 
uxplorer  of  new  and  uid<nown  lands.    For  the  gratification 
of  IliJH  [liiHHiiiii  III)  HiH'cificed    Ins   means,  his  comfort,  lils 
health,  and  finally  life  itself.     His  ])laiis  were  too  extensive 
and  complex  for  Ills  reHoiiiccH  <»r  »it'dil,and  even  liis  iiii- 
oonimon  energy  and  Inrtilmb   could  not  always  uope  with 
Hie  enmities  and  Jealoiisies  thai   '.^Mh'  ciiiislHiitly  arrny«?tl 
ligftilWt  him.     KevertheleBS,  he  stands  lu  the  hirtlory  of  tlio 


174 


Last  Great  Enterprise  of  La  Salle. 


period  as  the  foremost  pioneer  in  North  America.  More- 
over, he  was  the  first  chartered  owner  and  occupant  of  Illi- 
nois, and  the  first  to  establish  a  European  settlement  on 
her  soil. 

Physically  as  well  as  intellectually,  La  Salle  seemed 
born  to  command.  He  was  of  a  tall  and  martial  figure, 
and  appears  to  have  inherited  a  vigorous  constitution, 
which,  however,  was  considerably  impaired  by  sickness 
and  hardships  in  his  later  years.  His  picture  represents 
him  with  a  fine  oval  face,  and  a  high  open  fort-head.  From 
his  Norman  lineage  he  derived  his  pluck  and  tenacity  of 
purpose,  qualities  that  nearly  allied  him  to  the  ruhng  class 
of  England.  He  was  never  married,  and  left  no  offspring 
to  perpetuate  his  name  and  fame.  He  held  his  lease  of  life 
by  the  same  fragile  thread  as  the  meanest  camp-follower  in 
his  train.  He  died  a  martyr  to  his  own  ambition  and  the 
glory  of  France.  He  was  one  of  those  great  actors  on  the 
stage  of  our  earlier  continental  history,  about  whom  men 
write  and  converse  while  he  sleeps  the  sleep  that  knows  no 
waking.  It  has  been  felicitously  observed  of  him,  that  "  he 
was  as  brave  as  the  bravest,  as  pure  as  the  purest,  and  as 
unfortunate  as  the  most  unfortunate." 


In  MasRon's  "Abridgment  of  Guizot's  History  of  France,"  p.  45)0,. 
is  the  foil Mwing  condensed  yet  graphic,  recital  of  La  Salle's  achieve- 
ments: "  La  Salie,  in  his  intrepid  expeditions,  discovered  the  Ohio  and 
Illinois,  navigated  the  great  lakes,  crossed  (descended)  the  Mississippi, 
which  the  Jesuits  had  been  the  first  to  reach,  and  pushed  on  as  far  as 
Texas.  Constructing  forts  in  the  midst  of  ravage  districts,  taking  pos- 
session of  Louisiana  in  the  name  of  Louis  XIV.,  abandoned  by  (some 
of)  liis  comrades,  and  losing  the  most  faithful  of  them  by  death,  attacked 
by  savages,  betrayed  by  his  own  men,  thwarted  in  his  prospects  by  his 
enemies,  this  indefatigable  man  fell  at  last  beneath  the  blows  of  a  few 
mutineers  in  1687,  just  as  he  was  trying  to  get  back  to  New  France.  He 
left  the  field  open  after  him  to  innumerable  travelers  (and  adventurers) 
of  every  nation  and  tongue,  who  were  one  day  to  leave  their  mark  on 
those  measureless  tracts.  It  is  the  glory  and  misfortune  of  France  to 
always  lead  the  van  in  the  march  of  ci.iiization,  without  having  the 
wit  to  profit  by  the  discoveries  and  the  sagacious  boldness  of  her  chil- 
dren." 


The  Travelers  Cross  the  Trinity. 


175. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

1687-1689. 
SURVIVORS    OF    LA    SALLE's    TEXAN    COLONY. 

The  surviving  members  of  La  Salle's  traveling  party^ 
who  were  not  in  sympathy  with  his  murder,  refrained  from 
openly  expressing  their  indignation  through  fear  of  their 
own  lives,  and  uneasilv  awaited  the  issue  of  events.  Mean- 
while,  Duhaiit  and  Liotot  seized  upon  everything  in  the 
camp  belonging  to  the  late  commander,  and  arrogated  to 
themselves  the  command  in  his  stead. 

On  the  20th  of  March,  the  day  following  the  catastro- 
phe, the  combined  party  broke  camp  and  recommenced 
their  journey,  as  if  anxious  to  get  away  from  the  gloomy 
locality.  Impeded  in  their  advance  by  heavy  rains  they 
were  three  days  in  reaching  the  main  stream  of  the  Trinity, 
which  they  crossed  in  a  boat  made  of  raw  hides,  swimming 
their  horses,  ('ontinuing  their  slow  march  through  the 
timbered  valley  to  the  vicinity  of  another  and  smaller 
ri">'er,*  the  travelers  halted  and  held  a  council  in  regard  to 
their  future  movements.  Being  short  of  provisions,  it  was 
decided  that  Li w tot,  Hiens,  Teissier,  and  Joutel  should  pro- 
ceed to  the  villages  of  the  Cenis  Indians,  about  ten  leagues 
away  to  the  north-east,  and  there  barter  for  a  supply  of  maize 
and  beans.  Joutel  was  thus  assigned  to  the  companionship 
of  three  villains  whom  he  detested,  and  at  the  same  time 
suspected  of  contriving  an  opportunity  to  take  his  life,  be- 
cause of  his  fidelity  to  their  late  commander.  But  having 
no  choice  in  the  matter,  he  dissembled  his  fears  and  set  off 
with  his  sinister  associates.  A  day's  ride  brought  them  to 
the  nearest  Cenis  village,  which  consisted  of  a  scattered 
group  of  large,  grass-thatched  lodges,  resembling  huge  hay 
ricks.    The  Frenchmen  were  received  with  much  ceremony 


*  Probably  an  eastern  aim  of  the  Trinity. 


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176 


Survicors  of  La  Sailers  Texan  Colony. 


by  the  painted  and  tattooed  elders  of  the  village,  and  were  as- 
signed a  cottage  in  which  to  lodge.  But  these  Indian  hosts, 
while  feeding  their  visitors  by  day,  did  not  hesitate  to  pilfer 
from  them  by  night  as  opportunity  offered.  They  had  no 
religion  worth  considering,  and,  in  common  with  the  sur- 
rounding tribes,  were  more  or  less  addicted  ^o  cannibalism. 

After  a  few  days  stay  at  the  village,  the  companions  of 
Joutel  returned  to  the  French  camp,  leaving  him  to  con- 
tinue the  traffic  alone.  During  his  sojourn  there  he  met 
with  two  French  sailors  named  Ruter  and  Grollet  (Jacques), 
who  liad  forsaken  La  fealle  on  the  occasion  of  his  journey 
to  this  region  in  the  preceding  year,  and  who  were  now 
domesticated  among  the  Cenis.  When  apprised  of  the 
murder  of  his  late  eomnuinder,  Ruter  expressed  both  sur- 
prisp  and  regret. 

Some  days  afterward,  Joutel  was  ordered  to  return 
with  the  provisions  he  had  purchased  to  Duhaut's  camp, 
and  upon  his  arrival  thither  found  a  miserable  state  of  af- 
fairs. The  elder  Cavelier  and  Friar  Douay  had  been  treate<l 
with  harshness  and  contempt  by  Duhaut  and  Liotot,  and 
were  constrained  to  prepare  their  meals  apart  to  themselves. 
Joutel  now  joined  them,  and  around  their  own  camp-lire 
they  talked  of  nothing  else  but  how  to  escape  from  the  com- 
pany of  the  miscreants  in  which  circumstances  had  placed 
them.  No  other  fepsible  expedient  presented  itself  except 
to  continue  their  journey  to  the  Mississippi,  and  thence  to 
the  Illinois  and  ('Unada,  as  origiiuiUy  undertaken  by  La 
Salle  himself.  In  carrying  out  this  j)lan,  the  first  and  prin- 
cipal difficulty  was  to  get  the  vonsent  of  Duhaut  and  Liotot; 
for  they  had  already  announced  their  intention  to  return  to 
Fort  St.  Louis  on  the  bay,  and  there  build  a  vessel  with 
wb.ich  to  sail  to  the  "West  Indies.  The  announcement  of 
tliis  impracticable  purjjose — impracticable  because  their  car- 
penters were  all  dead,  and  they  were  without  suitable  ap- 
])liances  and  nuiterial  for  the  work — showed  that  those 
desperate  men  had  no  mind  to  peril  their  personal  safety 
by  going  to  Canada.  In  pursuance  of  tliat  resolution 
lliens  and  three  other  members  of  the  i)arty  were  sent  to 
the  village  of  the  Cenis  to  barter  for  additional  horses. 


'i« 


Survivors  of  La  SaUe''s  Texan  Colony. 


177 


In  tliis  critical  posture  of  affaire,  the  elder  Cavelier, 
with  whom  a  sacriiice  of  truth  cost  no  particular  etibrt, 
opened  negotiations  with  the  Sieur  Duhaut.  The  old  priest 
represented  that  he  and  his  friends  were  too  much  fatigued 
by  travel  to  undertake  a  journey  back  to  the  fort,  preferring 
to  remain  among  the  Cenis  Indians,  and  requested  a  share 
of  the  goods,  for  which  he  offered  to  give  his  note  of  hand. 
To  this  preposition  Duhaut,  after  consulting  with  his  com- 
panions, unexpectedly  assented,  but  soon  afterward  changed 
his  mind  on  being  told  that  it  was  the  secret  intention  of 
Cavelier  and  party  to  proceed  to  the  Illinois  and  Canada, 
lie  then  gave  out  that  he  would  go  with  them  to  ext^cute 
their  dcMign,  whicli  disconcerted  and  troubled  the  latter. 

Duhaut  and  the  others  appear  to  have  remained  at  the 
wuiio  camp,  east  of  the  Trinity,  through  April  a?id  until 
the  first  week  in  May,  only  advancing  a  little  nearer  to  tlie 
river  which  lay  between  them  and  the  village  of  the  Cenis. 
Iliens  and  his  tliree  E'rench  companions  were  still  at  the 
village,  l)eing  detained  partly  by  the  overflow  in  the  river, 
but  principally  by  the  attractions  of  the  Cenis  women. 
During  his  stay  tliere  he  heard  of  Duhaut's  new  plan  of 
going  to  find  the  Mississippi,  and  declared  to  those  witii  him 
that  he  was  not  of  that  mind,  and  refused  his  consent. 

"After  we  had  been  some  (hiys  longer  in  the  same 
place,"  writes  Joutel,  "  Iliens  arrived  with  the  two  iialf- 
siivage  Frenchmen  (Ruter  and  GroUet),  and  about  twenty 
iiiitives.  He  went  immediately  to  Duhaut,  and  after  some 
(boated)  discourse,  told  him  he  was  not  for  going  toW5»rd 
tbe  \tisHiHsi[t}»i,  because  it  would  be  of  (hingcrous  conse- 
<luonce  for  them,  and  therefore  demanded  his  share  of  the 
effects  ho  had  seized.  Duhaut  refusing  to  comply,  and 
atlinning  that  all  the  axes  were  his  own,  Iliens,  who  it  is 
likely  ha«l  laid  the  (h^sign  before  to  kill  him,  immediately 
drew  his  jjistol  and  firctl  it  upon  Duhaut,  who  staggered 
about  four  paces  from  the  place,  and  fell  down  dead.  At 
the  wanic  time  Ruter,  who  had  been  with  Iliens,  fired  Ids 
inece  upon  Liotot,  the  surgeon,  and  shot  him  through  with  . 

three  halls.  

12 


178 


The  Assassins  Assassinated. 


"These  murders  committed  before  us,  put  me  in  u  ter- 
rible consternation ;  for,  believing  the  same  was  designed 
for  me,  I  laid  hold  of  my  firelock  to  defend  myself.  But 
Hiens  cried  out  to  me  to  fear  nothing,  to  lay  down  my 
arms,  and  assured  me  he  had  no  design  against  me ;  but 
that  he  had  revenged  his  master's  death.  He  also  satisfied 
M.  Cavelier  and  Father  Anastase,  who  were  as  much  fright- 
ened as  myself,  declaring  he  meant  them  no  harm,  and  that 
though  he  had  been  in  the  conspiracy,  yet  had  he  been  pres- 
ent at  the  time  when  M.  de  la  Salle  was  killed,  he  would 
not  have  consented,  but  rather  obstructed  it. 

"  Liotot  lived  some  hours  after,  and  had  the  good  for- 
tune to  make  his  confession ;  after  which  the  same  Ruter 
put  him  out  of  his  pain  with  a  pistol  shot.*  We  dug  a  hole 
in  the  earth,  and  buried  him  in  it  with  Duhaut,  doing  them 
more  honor  than  they  had  done  to  M.  de  la  Salle  and  his 
nephew,  Moranget,  whom  they  left  to  be  devoured  by  the 
wild  ]>eaHts.  Thus  those  murderers  met  with  what  they 
had  deserved,  dying  the  same  death  they  had  put  others 
to."t 

The  Indian  spectators  looked  with  astonishment  and 
terror  upon  these  brutal  homicides,  which  put  to  shame 
even  their  own  thirst  for  blood.  The  Frenchmen  present, 
however,  excused  the  deed  to  the  savages  by  telling  them 
that  those  two  men  had  been  killed,  "  because  they  had  all 
the  powder  and  ball,  and  would  not  give  any  to  the  rest." 
Jean  L'Archeveque,  who  had  been  entirely  devoted  to  Du- 
haut, was  absent  hunting  at  the  time,  and  Hiens  was  for 
shooting  him  on  his  return  to  camp,  but  was  dissuaded 
tiierefrom  by  Joutcl  and  the  two  priests. 

The  only  excuse  or  apology  Duhaut  and  Liotot  luid 
offered  for  their  own  atrocious  crimes,  was  that  they  hud 
been  driven   thereto  by  despair  at  their  ill-usage.     If  they 

*  It  is  rolntt'd  by  Father  Douny,  in  his  account  of  theso  uiuniiTH, 
tlmt  thi'  Ihinh  of  Untcr'H  pistol  set  fire  to  l^iotot's  hair  and  clotliing, 
wiueh  were  burned  on  his  body,  and  that  in  this  torment  he  died.  Tiiis 
hHi)i)('iuMl  nearly  two  niontlis  after  the  (h>ath  of  La  SaUe. 

tSee  Joutel's  .Journal  in  "  Historical  Collections  of  Louisiana,"  I'lirt 
L,  pp.  157,  168. 


Survivors  of  La  Sailers  Texan  Colony. 


179 


had  remained  at  home  in  France,  and  not  been  subjected  to 
any  great  temptations,  tliey  might  have  passed  through  life 
as  respectable  citizens ;  bnt,  as  it  was  and  is,  their  names 
must  be  consigned  to  merited  execration  and  ignominy. 

These  latter  tragedies  came  Uke  a  thunderbolt  from  a 
cloudless  sky,  and  cleared  the  way  for  the  escape  of  the  in- 
nocent members  of  the  party.  Prior  to  this,  however,  Hiens 
and  his  associate  outlaws  had  promised  the  chiefs  of  the 
Cenis  to  accompany  them  on  a  foray  against  a  tribe  called 
tlio  Kanoatinos,  who  dwelt  some  distance  off  to  the  north- 
west, and  with  whom  the  former  were  ••t  feud.  To  facili- 
tate this  purpose  the  surviving  Frenchmen  now  decamped 
and  removed  their  head-quarters  to  the  Cenis  village.  The 
two  Cavcliers,  Jontel,  Douay,  and  two  others  were  lodged 
in  a  cabin  by  themselves,  where  they  were  watched  by  the 
villagers,  while  iliens  and  his  six  followers,  armed  and 
mounted,  went  with  the  native  warriors  on  their  raid. 
After  an  absence  of  less  than  a  fortnight,  the  war  party  re- 
turned, bringing  with  them  several  Indian  prisoners,  and  a 
number  of  scalps,  as  trophies  of  their  victory  over  the 
enemy. 

When  the  savage  feasting  and  rejoicing  thereat,  which 
lasted  several  days,  had  come  to  an  end,  M.  Cavelicr  and 
.loutel  took  occasion  to  inform  Iliens  of  their  proposed 
journey  to  and  up  the  Mississippi.  The  latter  at  first  stoutly 
ojij-osed  the  project,  as  he  had  no  thought  of  going  thither 
himself,  but  finally  consented  on  condition  that  Cavelier 
should  give  him  a  writing  certifying  to  his  innocence  of  La 
Salle's  murder,  which  the  priest  did  not  scruple  to  do.  For 
the  rest,  Iliens  treated  his  departing  fellow-travelers  with 
the  liberality  of  a  successful  freebooter,  giving  them  a  fair 
proportion  of  the  booty  he  had  acquired  by  his  recent  vil- 
lauous  crimes.  "Before  our  departure,"  says  Joutel's 
Journal,  "it  was  a  sensible  aflliction  to  us  to  see  that  villain 
walk  about  the  camp  in  a  scarlet  coat,  with  gob'  galons 
(lace),  which  had  belonged  to  the  late  Monsieur  de  la  Salle, 
and  which  he  had  sei/ed." 

The  escaping  party  was  composed  of  seven  persons, 
viz.:  the  two  Caveliers  (uncle  and  nephew),  Joutel,  Douay, 


rjmfgmmm^ 


180 


Journey  of  the  Escaping  Party. 


De  Marie,  Teissier,  and  a  Parisian  youth  named  Barthelemy. 
Teissier  was  an  accomplice  in  the  death  of  both  Moranget 
and  La  Salle,  but  had  received  a  pro  forma  pardon  from  the 
elder  Cavelier.  They  hud  six  indifferent  horses,  a  quantity 
of  powder  and  ball,  and  some  axes,  knives,  and  beads,  for 
use  in  barter  with  the  natives  on  the  route.  They  left  the 
Oenis  village  without  regret,  late  in  May,  and  were  attended 
by  three  guides.  Hiens  embraced  them  at  parting,  as  did 
the  other  half-dozen  ruflians  who  stayed  with  liim.  The 
general  course  of  the  travelers  was  to  the  north-east,  iji  the 
direction  of  the  Lower  Ai-kansas,  which  was  more  than 
three  hundred  miles  distant.  After  several  days  travel 
through  an  open  country,  i)assing  hamlets  and  villages  on 
the  way,  they  reached  the  luition  of  the  Assonis,  or  Nas- 
souis,  dwelling  near  the  river  Neches,  where  they  were 
fairly  well  received.  Here  they  were  detained  by  continued 
rain  until  about  the  13th  of  June,  when  they  again  set 
forward,  with  fresh  guides,  on  their  journey. 

The  travelers  next  approached  the  village  of  a  tribe 
called  l)y  Joutel  the  Nathosos,  who  inhabited  tl:e  country 
between  the  Sabine  and  Red  River.  The  dusky  dwellers 
in  this  village  had  hitherto  known  the  Europeans  only  by 
report,  and  coming  out  to  meet  their  visitors,  regarded  them 
with  great  curiosity.  Desirous  of  doing  the  Frenchmen 
special  honor,  they  took  them  on  their  backs  and  carried 
them  into  the  village;  but  doutel,  being  a  large  and  heavy 
man,  bore  down  his  carrier  so  much  that  two  other  Iiulians 
had  to  assist  him,  one  on  either  side.  Arrived  at  the  chief 'h 
cottage,  their  horses  were  uidoaded,  and  one  of  the  elders 
of  the  village  ])roceeded  to  wash  the  faces  of  the  visitors 
with  warm  water  from  an  earthen  vessel.  Then  they  were 
invited  to  mount  a  scaflolding  of  canes,  covered  with  wliitc 
mats,  where  thi\y  sat  in  the  burning  sun  and  listeiUHl  to 
several  speeches  of  welcome,  of  which  they  did  not  under- 
stand a  single  word. 

Taking  leave  of  this  hospitable  jteoplc,  our  travelers 
next  came  to  a  village  of  the  Cad'xhupiiH,  where  they  ex- 
perienced a  similar  reception,  (crossing  Red  J^iver  and 
approaching  the  Washita,  they  arrived  at  the  village  of 


Survivors  of  La  Salle's  Texan  Colony. 


181 


another  natijn,  who  gave  them  a  still  more  oppressive  vvel- 
como,  As  the  leader  of  the  party  the  elder  Cavelier  be- 
came the  principal  victim  of  the  Indian  attentions.  They 
(lanced  the  calumet  before  him,  singing  as  loud  as  tfioy  could 
roar,  beat  U[ion  their  calabashes,  &tuck:  feathers  in  his  hair, 
and  performed  various  other  antics.  The  old  priest  en- 
dured tlie  irksome  ceremony  as  long  as  lie  well  could,  and 
then,  pretending  that  it  made  him  ill,  he  was  assisted  to 
his  lodge;  but  they  continued  to  sing,  howl,  and  dance  all 
through  the  night.  The  meaning  of  all  this  Indian  cere- 
mony was  that  their  visitors  should  make  them  a  })resent, 
which  was  accordingly  done  to  their  satisfaction. 

At  length,  after  a  wearisome  journey  of  nearly  two 
months  from  the  Cenis,  during  whicli  time  they  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  one  of  tlieir  number  (I)e  Marie),  who 
was  accidentally  drowned,  the  travelers  drew  near  tc  the 
Arkansas  River,  at  a  place  some  fifty  miles  above  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Mississippi.  Conducted  thither  by  their 
native  guides,  they  at  last  stood  u[)on  the  banks  of  the  Ar- 
kansas, and,  looking  across  to  the  farther  side,  beheld  lui 
Indian  village,  and  l)elow  and  near  it  on  a  small  eminence 
was  a  cabin  built  of  cedar  logs,  and  a  tall  wooden  cross, 
evidently  the  work  of  French  hands.  Overwhelmed  with 
emotions  of  gratitude  at  their  deliverance,  they  all  knelt 
down  and,  lifting  up  tlieir  hands,  gave  thanks  to  the 
Divine  Goodness  for  having  directed  tlieir  footstej)S  to  this 
little  outpost  of  civilization.  I*resently,  two  white  men 
cinergod  from  the  door  of  tha  cabin  and  iired  their  guns  as 
a  salute  to  the  wanderers,  who  answered  it  with  a  volley 
from  their  own.  Then  two  canoes  crossed  from  the  oj)i)o- 
site  shore  and  ferried  them  over  to  the  village,  where  they 
were  heartily  greeted  in  their  t)wn  tongue  by  Messrs.  Cou- 
ture and  I)c  Launay,  two  of  six  men  whom  Henri  de  Tonty 
liad  stationed  there  during  the  preceding  year.*  The 
whole  distance  from  Fort  St.  Louis  of  Texas,  to  the  Ar- 


!•:' 


*  This  station  was  nftiTward  Itiiown  to  tlie  Fronch  as  I'oHle  anic  Ar- 
hima»,  and  later,  to  tlie  Americans,  as  Arkansas  Post.  The  Arkansaa 
Indians  liad  two  villages  on  this  river,  the  second  one  being  near  its 
iiioutli. 


m 


182 


Tonty's  Trip  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 


kansas,  following  the  route  of  the  traveling  party,  was 
computed  by  Fatlier  Douay  at  two  hundred  and  fifty 
leagues. 

It  may  be  remembered  that  in  the  spring  of  1685, 
by  an  order  of  the  King  of  France,  M.  de  Tonty  had  been 
reinstated  in  command  at  Fort  St.  Louis  of  the  Illinois, 
with  the  title  of  captain  and  governor.  In  the  autumn  of 
that  year,  he  made  a  special  journey  to  Mackinac  to  seek 
intelligence  of  his  absent  chief.  Arrived  thither,  he  learned 
that  a  letter  had  been  received  from  Governor  Denonville, 
then  lately  arrived  from  France,  stating  that  La  Salle 
had  landed  on  the  coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  that 
he  had  lost  cue  of  his  vessels  there.  Upon  hearing  this 
news,  Tonty  returned  to  the  Illinois,  and  organized  an 
expedition  on  his  own  responsibility,  and  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, to  go  to  La  Salle's  assistance.  Accordingly,  on  the 
16th  of  February,  1686,  he  departed  from  Fort  St.  Louis, 
with  thirty  Frenchmen  and  five  Indians,  in  log  canoes,  and 
descended  the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi  to  the  Gulf, 
which  he  reached  in  Holy  Week.  Finding  no  traces  of 
the  French  colony  there,  he  sent  some  of  his  canoes  to 
scour  the  coast  for  thirty  leagues  on  either  side  of  the  di- 
verging outlet  of  the  river.  But  all  this  search  was  futile, 
for  La  Salle  was  then  rambling  in  the  distant  wilds  of 
southern  Texas.  Disappointed  yet  not  disheartened  at  liis 
failure,  Tonty  wrote  a  letter  to  his  commander,  informing 
him  of  this  trip  in  quest  of  him,  which  he  committed  to 
the  keeping  of  an  Indian  chief  of  the  Quinipissas  tribe,  to 
be  delivered  so  soon  as  an  opportunity  should  offer.  He 
then  returned  with  his  force  up  the  Mississippi  to  the  moutli 
of  the  Arkansas,  which  he  entered  and  ascended  some  dis- 
tance to  a  village  of  that  nation.  Here,  on  lands  wliicli 
had  been  previously  granted  to  him  by  La  Salle,  the  Sieur 
de  Tonty  stationed  six  of  his  men,  who  volunteered  to  re- 
main, and  who  were  to  report  to  him  any  information  tliey 
might  gather  from  the  natives  or  otherwise  concerning  liis 
chief. 

But  to  go  back  to  the  party  of  Cavelier  and  Joutel. 
They  tarried  for  several  days  at  the  French  outjjost  on  the 


Survivors  of  La  Salle's  Texan  Colony. 


183 


Arkansas,  resting  from  the  fatigues  and  anxiet  es  ot  their 
extraordinary  journey.  As  chief  spokesman  of  the  party, 
the  elder  Cavelier  related  to  M.  Couture  and  De  Launay 
the  history  of  their  long  sea-voyage,  and  subsequent  wan- 
derings and  sufferings  in  the  southern  wilderness,  including 
an  account  of  La  Salle's  dismal  end,  which  drew  tears  from 
their  eyes.  For  various  prudential  reasons,  this  last  bit  of 
information  was  kept  from  the  Arkansas  Indians,  who  held 
him  in  great  respect,  and  imjyatiently  expected  his  return. 

The  travelers  departed  from  tlie  house  of  the  French- 
men about  the  28th  of  July,  leaving  behind  tiiem  their 
horses  and  young  Barthelemy,  the  Parisian,  wlio  afterward 
told  slanderous  stories  about  La  Salle's  alleged  cruelty  to 
ills  men.  They  embarked  with  a  number  of  the  natives  in 
a  pirogue  forty  feet  long,  belonging  to  one  of  the  chiefs  of 
the  village,  and  were  accompanied  part  of  the  way  by  M. 
Couture.  Descending  the  Arkansas  to  the  next  village 
(called  Torrinian)  of  that  nation,  they  tarried  there  until 
the  followii  g  day,  when  they  went  in  two  canoes  to  crofls 
and  ascend  the  Mississippi,  which  had  been  so  long  the  ob- 
ject of  their  search,  and  which  Joutel  terms,  in  his  journal, 
the  "  fatal  river."  After  stopping  to  visit  the  third  village 
of  the  Arkansas,  which  was  seated  on  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, they  thence  proceeded  up  the  river  eight  leagues 
to  Ka[)pa,  the  fourth  and  last  village  of  that  people.  On 
the  2nd  of  August  our  five  travelers  took  leave  of  M.  Cou- 
tiu'c  at  the  Kappa  village,  and  re-embarked  in  a  single  canoe 
with  four  Arkansas  guides.  In  their  north-bound  voyage, 
they  found  it  recpiisite  to  often  cross  the  river,  and  some- 
times to  carry  their  canoe  and  luggage,  on  account  of  the 
rapidity  of  the  current,  and  at  night,  for  greater  safety,  en- 
cam})ed  on  some  one  of  the  smaller  islands.  On  the  19tli 
they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  to  which  their  In- 
dians made  a  sacrifice  of  sonie  tobacco  and  buffalo  steaks. 
Leaving  that  behind  them,  and  still  ascending,  they  passed 
the  confluence  of  the  turbid  Missouri  on  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember, a!id  the  next  day  turned  from  the  "  F'ather  of 
Waters"  into  the  quiet  channel  of  the  Illinois. 

In    navigating   this   central    part   of  the    Mississippi, 


184  The  Escaping  Party  Ascend  the  Mississippi. 

neither  Joiitel  nor  Doiiuy  observed  any  thing  very  remark- 
able in  the  painted  rocks  of  the  Piasa,  as  described  ])y 
Marquette.  "  The  2nd  "  (of  September),  writes  Joutel,  "  we 
arrived  at  the  place  where  the  figure  is  of  the  pretended 
monster  spoken  of  by  Fatlier  Marquette.  That  monster 
consists  of  two  scurvy  figures  drawn  in  red,  on  the  flat  side 
of  a  rock,  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  which  wants  very 
much  the  extraordinary  height  that  relation  mentions. 
However,  our  Indians  paid  homage,  by  offering  sacrifice  to 
that  stone."  * 

Father  Dona}'  saw,  and  briefly  descriljes  in  his  narra- 
tive, certain  rude  figures  on  another  rock,  some  forty  leagues 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  which,  on  Thevenot's  re- 
production of  Mar(£uette's  map,  is  marked  as  the  evil  Mani- 
tou  of  the  Illinois  Indians.  Douay  goes  on  to  vState,  that 
"  about  midway  between  the  river  Ouabache  (Ohio)  and  that 
of  the  Massourites,  is  Cape  St.  Anthony ;  it  was  to  this 
place,  and  not  farther,  that  the  Sieur  Joliet  descended  in 
1673."  But  in  the  above  unsupported  and  improbable 
statement,  the  Recollet  father  simply  displays  his  own  ig- 
norance and  jealousy  of  the  prior  discoveries  made  by 
Joliet  and  Marquette;  for  it  is  morally  certain  that  they 
went  a  long  distance  below  the  confluence  of  the  Ohio. 

But  to  return  from  this  digression.  After  entering  the 
Illinois  River,  it  required  ten  days  more  of  hard  rowing  and 
pushing  to  bring  tlie  travelers  to  the  rock-seated  fort  of 
St.  Louis,  whither  they  arrived  on  the  14th  of  September, 
and  were  once  more  among  friends  and  countrymen.  The 
Sieur  de  Tonty  was  away  in  the  east,  fighting  the  Iroquois ; 
but  his  lieutenant,  Belle  Fontaine,  was  in  charge  of  the 
fort,  and  his  little  garrison  received  the  way-worn  voyagers 
with  a  salvo  of  musketry,  which  was  supplemented  by  the 
whooping  of  the  Indian  occupants  of  the  Rock,  who  ran 
down  lo  the  river  to  meet  them.  As  the  season  was  grow- 
ing late,  our  travelers  were  eager  to  press  forward  to  Qua- 
bec,  in  order  to  take  shipping  tliere  for  France.  After  a 
few  days  of  repose,  therefore,  they  took  leave  of  Belle  Fon- 


*  Joutel's  Journal  IIiM<m<iu".    See  ante,  Cluip.  HI.  of  this  work. 


Survivors  of  La  Salle's  Texan  Colony. 


185 


taine  and  his  men  (from  whom  they  had  stiidioucly  withheld 
any  knowledge  of  La  Salle's  death),  and  proceeded  on  their 
way  up  the  river  to  Lake  Michigan.  On  arriving  at  the 
mouth  of  Chicago  rivulet,  they  emharked  on  tlie  waters  of 
the  lake  in  a  canoe,  which  had  been  procured  for  that  pur- 
pose at  the  fort ;  but  being  driven  back  by  stress  of  weather, 
they  abandoned  their  design,  buried  a  part  of  their  eftects 
on  the  lake  shore,  and  returned  to  Fort  St.  Louis  to  spend 
the  winter. 

At  the  close  of  the  month  of  October,  Captain  Tonty 
returned  from  the  Seneca  war,  accompanied  by  several  of 
his  French  friends,  and  he  now  listened  with  profound  in- 
terest to  the  long  and  sad  narrative  of  his  travel -worn 
guests  from  the  south-west.  With  the  connivance  of  his 
party,  the  elder  Cavelier  did  not  scruple  to  practice  on 
Tonty  the  same  deceit  he  had  used  with  his  lieutenant. 
He  told  him  that  La  Salle  had  been  with  them  nearly  to 
the  Cenis  villages,  and  that  when  they  parted  from  him  he 
was  in  good  health,  which  was  technically  true  so  far  as  a 
majority  of  the  old  priest's  party  was  concerned.  The 
main  purpose  of  this  studied  deception  was  to  derive  all 
the  pecuniary  advantage  he  could  from  his  character  of 
representative  of  his  brother.  Besides,  both  he  and  his 
associates  were  still  not  without  some  ajiprehension  from 
the  accomplicee  of  La  Salle's  murderers,  should  any  of  them 
return  to  Canada  or  France.  If  the  elder  Cavelier  bad 
been  frank  and  candid  with  Tonty,  the  expedition  which 
the  latter  subsequently  undertook  for  the  relief  of  the 
Texan  colonists  might  have  been  attended  with  better  re- 
sults. Friar  Douay  tells  us  that  the  presence  of  Tonty  made 
their  stay  at  the  fort  much  more  agreeable,  and  speaks  of 
him,  as  "this  brave  gentleman,  always  inseparably  attached 
to  the  interests  of  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  whose  lamentable 
fate  we  concealed  from  him,  it  being  our  duty  to  give  the 
first  news  to  the  court."* 

The  elder  Cavelier  carried  a  letter  of  credit  from  La 
Salle — whether  genuine  or  not,  it  were  needless  to  inquire — 

*  Narrative  of  Father  Anastase  Douay,  in  Le  Clercq's  Elablmement 
de  la  Foi,  vol.  \l.  „  . 


186 


Cavelier's  Deception  of  Tonty. 


requesting  Tonty  to  furnish  him  with  supplies,  and  pay 
him  2,652  livres  in  beaver  skins.  On  the  strength  of  this 
and  his  verbal  representations,  Cavelier  drew  upon  Tonty 
to  the  amount,  it  is  averred,  of  four  thousand  livres  in  furs,* 
besides  a  canoe  and  a  quantity  of  other  goods,  all  of  which 
were  delivered  to  him  on  his  quitting  the  fort,  and  for 
which  in  return  he  gave  his  promissory  note.  The  only 
excuse  for  this  deliberate  deception  and  fraud  was  the  des- 
titution of  the  old  priest  and  his  companions,  and  the 
further  fact  that  he  had  a  claim  against  his  brother's  es- 
tate, which,  however,  he  must  have  known  was  insolvent. 
It  seems  hardly  credible  that  during  all  this  time,  the  Sieur 
de  Tonty  should  not  have  received  a  hint  of,  or  even  sus- 
pected, the  death  of  his  former  commander. 

After  living  upon  Tonty's  generous  hospitality  for  six 
months,  the  Cavelier  party  finally  departed  from  Fort  St. 
Louis  the  20th  of  March,  1688.  Seven  days  of  travel  up 
the  Illinois  Iliver  and  its  northern  fork  brought  them  to  the 
Chicagou,  whence  they  again  embarked  on  Lake  M  chigan, 
and,  after  many  perils,  reached  Michilimackinac  on  the  6th 
of  May.f  Here  the  elder  Cavelier  disposed  of  a  portion  of 
his  ill-gotten  furs  to  a  trader,  and  received  in  exchange  an 
order  on  a  Montreal  house.  Being  thus  supplied  with  funds 
for  the  rest  of  the  journey  our  travelers  left  Mackinac  about 
the  5th  of  June,  and  proceeded  by  way  of  northern  Lake 
Huron,  French  River,  Lake  Nipissing,  and  the  Ottawa  River 
to  Montreal.  Here,  after  converting  the  remainder  of  their 
furs  into   money,   they    provided  themselves  with   much 


*  Tonty's  Memoir  does  not  make  it  so  much. 

tTlie  Baron  de  la  Hontan,  who  was  tlien  at  Mackinac  with  a  small 
detachment  of  French  soldiers,  in  a  letter  dated  the  2Hth  of  May,  thus 
speaks  of  Cavelier  and  his  party  :  "  M.  Cavelier  arrived  here  May  6th, 
accompanied  by  his  nephew,  Father  Anastase,  the  Recollect,  a  pilot,  one 
of  the  savages,  and  some  tew  Frenchmen,  which  made  a  sort  of  party- 
colored  retinue.  These  Frenchmen  were  some  of  those  that  M.  de  la 
Salle  conducted  upon  the  discovery  of  Mississippi.  They  give  out  that 
they  are  sent  to  Canada,  in  order  to  go  to  France,  with  some  dispatches 
from  M.  de  la  Salle  to  the  King.  But  we  suspect  that  he  is  dead,  be- 
cause he  does  not  return  along  with  them." — La  Houtans  Voyages,  vol. 
l,p.87. 


Survivors  of  La  Salle's  Texan  Colony. 


187 


needed  clothing  and  other  necessaries,  and  then  went  down 
the  St.  Lawrence  to  Quebec,  whither  they  arrived  the  29th 
of  July.  Taking:  passage  on  the  20th  of  August  for  Old 
France,  they  arrived  in  safety  at  Rochelle  on  the  9th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1688,  and  thence  proceeded  to  Rouen.  The  wander- 
ers had  been  absent  from  home  something  over  four  years, 
and  during  that  period  had  performed  one  of  the  most  ad- 
venturous and  remarkable  journeys  on  record. 

It  was  not  until  their  return  to  France,  that  the  gloomy 
secret  of  La  Salle's  trao:ic  death  was  disclosed.  When  it 
was  told  to  Louis  XIV.,  he  gave  orders  for  the  arrest  of  all 
persons  concerned  in  the  murder  who  might  appear  in  New 
France,  but  no  one  was  ever  arrested.  M.  Joutel  luul  hoped 
that  a  voyaX  ship-of-the-line  would  be  sent  out  for  the  rescue 
of  the  surviving  colonists  on  the  coast  of  Texas;  yet  this 
was  not  done.  Being  occupied  with  other  and,  to  him, 
weightier  matters,  the  king  left  the  miserable  little  band  to 
their  fate.  In  fact,  it  was  probably  too  late  then  to  have 
saved  them  from  destruction. 

The  priest,  Jean  Cavelier,  made  a  written  report  of 
La  Salle's  expedition  to  Seignelay,  the  Minister  of  Marine 
and  Colonies,  and  also  wrote  a  jouriuil  of  the  sea- voyage  to 
the  Gulf,  which  is  in  print,  but  was  not  brought  down  to  the 
time  of  his  bro*-her's  death.  It  is  stated  that  he  afterward 
inherited  a  large  estate  from  a  relative  in  France,  :uid  "  died 
rich  and  very  old."  Apart  from  his  natural  prudence  and 
self-command,  he  had  most  of  the  defects  without  any  of  the 
redeeming  and  ennobling  traits  of  La  Salle ;  and  the  cor- 
respondence of  the  latter  shows  that  he  entertained  but 
little  aft'ection  for  this  elder  brother,  who  was  •'  always  in- 
terfering with  or  crossing  his  plans." 

"Joutel,"  writes  Parkman,  "  must  have  been  a  young 
man  at  the  time  of  the  Mississippi  expedition,  for  Charle- 
voix saw  him  at  Rouen  thirty-+ive  years  after.  He  speaks 
of  him  in  terms  of  emphatic  praise  ;  but  it  must  be  admit- 
ted that  his  connivance  in  the  deception  practiced  upon 
Tonty  leaves  a  shade  on  his  character,  as  well  as  on  that  of 
Douay."  Joutel's  Historical  Jouriud  of  that  expedition  did 
not  appear  in  print  until  the  year  1713.     As  he  was  only 


188         2'onty  Attempts  to  Succor  the  Texan  Colony 

an  ordinary  scholar,  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  he  had  the 
ussistajice  of  a  competent  scribe  in  prejiaiing  his  work  for 
publication.  Its  generyl  accuracy  and  impartuility  are 
unquestioned,  though  in  the  matter  of  dates  it  is  perhaps 
inferior  toDouay's  I^arrative.  It  contains  the  beat  descrip- 
tion extant  of  the  country  of  Texas  at  that  early  day. 

We  now  return  to  M.  de  Tonty.  In  September,  1688, 
he  was  visited  at  his  fort  in  the  Illinois  by  M.  Couture,* 
and  two  Indians  from  the  Arkansas,  who  danced  the  cal- 
umet. It  was  then,  for  the  tirst  time,  we  are  told,  that  he 
learned  with  sorrow  and  indignation  of  t!ie  lamentable 
fate  of  his  chief,  and  of  the  deceit  that  had  bee.i  practiced 
upon  him  by  the  elder  Cavelier  and  i)arty.  The  opinion  of 
this  Fidus  Achates  of  M.  de  la  Salle  is  epitomized  in  his 
observation,  that  "  he  was  one  of  the  greatest  men  of  the 
age."  The  leader  whom  he  had  so  long  followed  was,  in- 
deed, beyond  any  human  aid  ;  but  the  still  surviving  colo- 
nists, languishing  on  the  distant  shores  of  the  Glulf,  might 
yet  be  saved  from  extermination.  lie  tlierofore  resolved 
upon  ai-.  expedition  for  their  relief,  and  furthenucre,  if  it 
were  found  practicable,  to  make  them  the  nucleus  of  i  war 
party  to  cross  the  Rio  del  Xorte  into  Mexico.  Tonty'b 
means  or  resources  were  utterly  ina(le([uate  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  so  bold  and  ditdcult  an  undertaking  ;  never- 
theless, he  made  the  attem])t. 

After  some  little  preparation,  this  imjjulsive  and  chiv- 
alrous man  set  off  from  his  fortified  roi'k  early  in  J)e- 
ceud)er  of  that  year  (l<)88),t  in  a  large  canoe,  with  five 
Frenchmen,  two  Jnoian  slaves,  and  a  Shawnee  hunter. 
Passing  down  the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi  to  the  mouth 
of  Rod  River,  and  thence  up  the  latter  stretim,  he  reached 
the  Natchitoches  on  the  17th  of  tiie  ensuing  February,  and 
the  Cadoda«|nis  on  the  28th  of  Maivh.  The  Ca(l()da(iuiH 
were  allied  with  the  Nachitoclies  and  the  Nassoui.     All 


*  Couture  whh  a  nativi*  uf  Uouen,  and  a  cari)enU'r  by  trade. 

t  Parkman'H  "  La  SulUi  and  the  (ireat  West,"  p.  4;}}>. 

Tonty'K  own  Memoir  t  avH  that  he  Het  out  on  tliis  journey  in  Octo- 
ber, 1UH(»;  hut  HH  he  i)rol)idtly  wrote  from  reeolleotiun,  hiw  dutoH  can  not 
alwuyb  bo  reliea  ..pon. 


Survivors  of  La  Salle's  Texan  Colony. 


189 


three  of  these  nations  chvelt  in  the  Red  River  Valley,  and  all 
sDoke  Hubstantiallv  the  same  lanffup gre.  Upon  his  arrival 
at  the  Cad()da([ins  village,  Tonty  was  told  that  ITiens  and 
his  French  confederates  were  at  a  village  of  the  Naona- 
diches,  some  eighty  leagnes  to  the  south-west.  J^ut  vs'hen 
he  was  prepariiig  to  go  there,  all  of  his  men  refused  to  fol- 
low him,  excepiing  one  Frenchman  and  tlie  Shawnee  In- 
diitU.  Not  being  able  to  compel  the  attendance  of  the 
others,  he  set  forward  on  the  6th  of  April,  with  the  two 
men  who  were  faithful,  and  five  native  guides.  A  few  days 
afterward,  in  crossing  a  stream,  his  French  companion  lost 
his  lug  containing  tlic  most  of  their  powder.  But,  un- 
deterred by  this  accident  he  pressed  on  to  the  Naouadiche 
village,  lying  east  of  the  Cenis,  where  the  criminals  were 
saiil  to  be.  Arrived  thither  on  the  23d,  he  found  no  traces 
of  Hiens  and  his  associates.  When  he  inquired  for  them 
of  the  head  men  of  the  village,  they  told  him  different 
stories,  and  when  he  charged  them  with  having  killed  the 
Frenchmen,  the  women  began  to  cry,  from  which  he  in- 
ferred that  his  diarge  was  true.  These  villagers  refused 
Tonty  "-nides  to  further  continue  his  journey,  although,  as 
he  tells  us,  it  was  only  three  days'  travel  from  thence  to 
where  La  Salle  had  been  murdered.  Owing,  therefore,  to 
his  lack  of  guides,  and  the  shortness  of  his  ammunition,  he 
was  obliged  to  relinquisii  his  purpose  of  eiuleavoring  to 
reach  the  fort  on  Matisgorda  Bay.  While  at  this  Texan 
village,  he  seems  to  have  heard  rumors  in  regi?rd  to  the 
breaking  up  and  destruction  of  the  French  colony  on  the 
coast  by  the  Indians. 

In  retracing  their  windii'.g  track,  Tonty  and  his  com- 
panions found  the  country  tloodi'd  by  the  heavy  vernal 
rains,  and  experienced  incr  'diblc  hardshiits  in  threading  the 
Red  River  wilderness.  Thev  had  to  construct  a  raft  and 
paddle  through  the  water,  sleep  on  logs  laid  one  upon  an 
other,  build  ilres  on  the  trunks  of  trees,  and  subsist  on  a 
little  bear  and  dog  meat.  lie  says,  in  his  memoir,  that 
he  never  suffered  so  much  in  his  life  as  during  this  journey 
back  to  ft.'e  Mississippi,  which  was  reached  on  the  11th  of 
July.     Muicing  Viis  way  tiience  to  the  village  of  the  CV)roa8, 


190 


Spanish  Expedition  to  Fort  Si.  Louis. 


Tonty  stayed  there  several  days  to  recuperate,  after  which 
he  went  up  to  his  post  on  the  Arkansas.  Here  lie  fell  sick 
of  a  fever,  brought  on  by  exposure,  which  detained  him  till 
the  11th  of  August.  He  then  resumed  his  river  voyage 
homeward,  and  arrived  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  of  the  Illinois, 
late  in  September,  1689.  Ten  months  were  consumed  in 
this  extraordinary  journey,  which  was  one  of  the  longest 
and  hardest  he  ever  made. 

This  unavailing  attempt  was  the  last  that  was  made 
to  rescue  the  unhappy  colonists  from  the  savage  immensity 
which  shut  them  out  from  home  and  civilization.  Their 
final  extirpation  by  the  Texa.""  Indians  was  subsequently 
leaiaed  from  the  Spaniards  in  Mexico.  By  priority  of  dis- 
cover}' and  occu])ation,  Spain  claimed  all  the  country  sur- 
rounding the  Mexican  Gulf,  and  the  viceroys  of  Mexico 
had  been  active  and  energetic  in  enforcing  this  claim. 
The  capture  of  one  of  La  Salle's  vessels  off  the  coast  of 
St.  Domingo  had  first  made  known  his  designs  to  the 
Spanish  authorities,  and  during  the  succeeding  throe  years 
as  many  as  four  expeditions  were  sent  out  from  Vera  Cruz 
to  find  and  destroy  his  colony.  They  scoured  the  entire 
coast,  and  even  found  the  wrecks  of  his  vessels,  but  owing 
to  the  secluded,  inland  position  of  the  French  fort,  it  had 
eluded  their  search.  The  Spaniards  therefore  rested  for  a 
time  in  the  belief  that  the  intruders  upon  their  territory 
had  perished,  when  fresh  advices  from  the  frontier  prov- 
ince of  New  Leon  caused  the  viceroy  to  order  a  renewal 
of  the  search. 

Accordingly,  in  January,  1(189,  Don  Alonzo  vie  Leon 
started  with  a  strong  body  of  horsemen  from  a  military 
post  in  the  province  of  Quagila  (Coahuila),  and  marched 
northward  over  the  barren  mountains  until  he  came  to  the 
Spanish-Mexican  town  of  Calhuila.  He  then  turned  to 
his  right,  and,  crossing  the  Kio  Bravo  del  Norte,-  entered 
the  territory  of  the  Bahamos  Indians.  Guided  thence  by 
a  Fr<'  oh  prisoner  (supposed  to  have  been  a  deserter  from 
La  ^  ille),  he  traversed  the  country  to  the  north-east, 
crossing  in  turn  the  Nueces,  the  San  Antonia,  and  the 
Guadalupe,  and  at  length  reached  the  Bay  of  St.  Bernard, 


Survivors  of  La  Salle's  Texan  Colony. 


191 


called  by  the  Spaniards  Espiritu  Santo.*  Arrived  at  the 
French  fort  of  St.  Louis  on  the  22d  of  April,  the  Spanish 
leader  and  his  cavalcade  proceeded  to  reconnoiter  the 
place.  They  found  the  dead  bodies  of  several  of  the  colo- 
nists, who  had  been  killed  by  blows  or  pierced  by  arrows ; 
also  a  lot  of  old  French  books  (mostly  religious  works) 
scattered  aroiind,  and  a  number  of  iron  cannon  mounted 
upon  navy  gun  carriages;  but  no  living  thing  was  there, 
and  no  explanation  of  the  mystery  was  obtainable  from 
the  stolid  savages  dwelling  on  the  shores  of  the  bay. 
After  an  interval  of  several  days,  however,  there  ari'ived 
at  the  Spanish  camp  two  strangers,  whose  faces  were 
painted,  and  who  were  otherwise  attired  as  Indians.  They 
were  James  GroUet  and  Jean  L' Archeveque,  the  latter 
having  been  one  of  the  principal  accomplices  in  the  mur- 
der of  La  Salle.  Finding  life  insupportable  among  the 
savages,  these  two  Frenchmen  had  come,  under  pledges 
of  good  treatment,  to  surrender  themselves  to  the  Spanish 
commander.  From  them  was  obtained  al)out  all  that  is 
definitely  known  in  regard  to  the  melanciioly  end  of  the 
occupants  of  the  fort. 

The  neighboring  Indians,  as  we  have  seen,  had  been 
from  the  first  on  ill  terms  with  the  French'  colonists;  and 
it  appears  that  some  three  months  before  a  band  of  the 
savages  had  stealthily  approached  the  fort,  the  inmates  of 
which  had  been  sufi^'ering  from  the  small-pox,  to  take 
them  by  surprise.  Fearing  treachery,  the  French  refused 
their  visitors  admittance,  but  received  them  at  a  house 
without  the  palisade,  where  the  savages  made  a  pretense 
of  trade.  Suddenly,  at  a  preconcerted  signal,  the  hirger 
part  of  this  band  of  warriors,  who  had  been  in  hiding  un- 
der the  river  bank,  rushed  from  their  cover,  entered 
the  gate,  and  massacred  nearly  all  of  the  French  inmates. 
L'Archeveque  and  Grollet  stated  that  they,  vith  some 
others  of  their  comitanions,  came  hither  from  the  Cenis 
villages  and  buried  fourteen  corpesof  the  slain.     The  four 


•  See  manuBcript  map  of  the  route  of  the  SpaniardH  in  Margry'H 
Collection. 


192 


Final  Destruction  of  the  Colony. 


children  of  a  Canadian  named  Talon,  together  with  an 
Italian  and  a  young  Frenchman  named  Eustache  de  Bre- 
men, were  saved  by  some  Indian  women  who  had  been 
domesticated  at  the  fort,  and  who  hurried  them  away, 
carrying  the  children  on  their  backs.  These  young  cap- 
tives were  all  soon  after  surrendered  to  the  Spaniards. 

Conspicuous  among  those  who  are  believed  to  have 
thus  perisiied  under  the  war  clubs  and  scalping-knives  of 
the  vengeful  savages  were  the  two  friars,  Maxime  le  Clereq 
and  Zenobe  Membre.  And  here  it  may  be  as  well  to  col- 
late the  known  facts  in  the  adventurous  life  of  the  latter, 
who  died  at  about  the  ago  of  forty-four.  Agreeably  to  a 
statement  of  Hennepin,  Membre  was  born  at  Bapaume,  a 
small  fortified  town  in  the  south  part  of  Artois,  France, 
about  1645.  His  name  of  Zenobius  was  probably  assumed 
on  entering  the  Recollet  convent  in  Artois.  He  appears 
to  have  been  a  cousin  of  Father  Chretien  le  Clereq,  who 
published  an  abridgment  of  his  letters  and  journals  in 
L'' EtahUsseineyit  de  la  Foi.  With  this  cousin,  he  was  first 
sent  out  to  Cjinada  as  a  missionary  in  the  year  1675.  In 
1682,  after  returning  from  the  memorable  expedition  down 
the  Mississippi,  he  was  sent  by  La  Salle  to  lay  the  result 
of  that  expedition  before  the  government  of  France. 
Having  fulfilled  his  mission  at  court,  he  went  to  Bajtaume, 
and  there  held  the  position  of  Warden  to  the  Kecollets 
until  1684,  when,  at  La  Salle's  request,  he  was  appointed 
superior  of  the  Hecollet  missionaries  who  were  to  accom- 
pany his  expedition  by  sea  to  the  Mississip})!.  After  the 
stranding  of  the  "Aimable"  at  the  entrance  to  Matagorda 
Bay,  he  came  near  being  drowned  while  passing  that  ves- 
sel in  a  boat,  which  was  driven  by  the  force  of  the  waves 
against  the  wreck  and  dashed  to  pieces.  In  January, 
1687,  when  La  Salle  fitially  left  Fort  St.  Louis  of  Texas, 
Membre  was  intending,  as  soon  as  [lossible,  with  the  aid 
of  Father  Maxime  le  Clereq,  to  establish  a  mission  among 
the  friendly  Cenis  Lidians;  but  this  project  was  never 
carried  out. 

Father  Membre  was  not  a  man  of  superior  parts  or 
learning.     His  letters  and  journals  are  often  involved  and 


What  Became  of  Heins  and  Others. 


193 


obscure,  yet  they  bear  intrinsic  marks  of  fidelity,  and  show 
him  to  have  been  a  less  prejudiced  observer  of  men  and 
things  than  some  of  his  clerical  companions.  Neither  his 
natal  year,  nor  the  month  nor  day  of  his  martyrdom,  is  defi- 
nitely determined ;  but,  surely,  this  amiable  man  and  de- 
voted missionary  merited  a  better  and  happier  destiny. 

"L'Archeveque  and  Grollet  were  sent  to  Spain,  where, 
in  spite  of  the  pledge  given  them,  they  were  thrown  into 
prison,  with  the  intention  of  sending  them  back  (to  Mex- 
ico) to  work  in  the  mines.  The  Italian  was  imprisoned  at 
Vera  Cruz,  The  fate  of  Bremen  is  unknown.  Pierre  and 
Jean  Baptiste  Talon,  who  were  now  old  enough  to  bear 
arms,  were  enrolled  in  the  Spanish  navy,  and  being  capt- 
ured in  1696  by  a  French  ship  of  war,  regained  their  liberty; 
while  their  younger  brother  and  sister  were  carried  by  the 
viceroy  to  Spain.  \s  :h  respect  to  the  ruflian  companions 
of  Heins,  the  conviction  of  Tonty  that  they  had  been  put 
to  death  by  the  Indians  may  have  been  correct ;  but  the 
buccaneer  himself  is  said  to  have  been  killed  by  liuter,  the 
white  savage.  And  thus,  in  ignominy  and  darkness,  ex- 
pired the  last  embers  of  the  doomed  colony  of  La  Salle."* 

Here  ends  the  wild,  lurid,  and  most  tragical  story  of 
the  first  Gallic  explorers  and  colonists  of  Texas ;  a  story 
which  exemplifies  the  familiar  adage  that  truth  is  often 
stranger  than  fiction.  Such  was  the  disnuil  fate  of  others 
of  the  earlier  European  settlements  in  America,  until  the 
colonists  became  sufliciently  numerous  and  powerful  to 
cope  with  tlie  ravages  of  disease  and  the  hostility  of  the 
savages. 


111 


*  Parkuian's  "  La  Salle  and  the  Great  West,"  p.  445. 

18 


■M 


194 


Illinois  as  a  Dependency  of  Canada. 


CHAPTER  X. 


168i>-1712. 


'LLINOIS    AS    A    DEPENDENCY   OF    CANADA. 


After  La  Salle's  ineffectual  attempt  to  plant  a  colony 
in  the  delta  district  of  the  Mississippi,  it  was  over  twelve 
years  before  the  government  of  France  essayed  another 
experiment  in  that  quarter.  Busily  engaged  in  a  great 
war  with  William  of  Orange  and  the  German  princes  for 
European  supremacy,  the  French  monarch  had  neither  the 
time  nor  the  inclination  to  indulge  in  projects  of  distant 
and  expensive  colonization.  During  this  long  interval 
there  was  but  little  immigration  into  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
nor  were  any  steps  taken  by  kingly  authority  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  newly-acquired  territory.  Meantime,  how- 
ever, the  Jesuit  missionaries  and  fur-traders  from  Canada 
were  both  active  and  enterprising ;  the  one  in  disseminat- 
ing the  Catholic  faith  among  the  aborigines,  and  the  other 
in  bartering  cheap  goods  and  "fire-water"  for  their  furs 
and  pelts. 

Fort  St.  Louis  continued  for  some  years  to  be  the  seat 
of  French  power  in  the  Illinois,  with  Henri  de  Tonty  as 
commandant  and  governor,  whose  authority  extended  about 
as  far  in  every  direction  as  his  French -Italian  imagination 
chose  to  stretch  it.  In  1(300,  or  1(391,  the  company  of  Foot, 
in  which  he  had  held  the  rank  of  captain  since  1684,  l)iit 
without  receiving  any  regular  pay,  was  ordered  to  be  dis- 
banded. Being  thus  thrown  out  of  employment  in  the  lino 
of  his  profession,  he  made  a  trip  down  tlie  lakes  to  Quebec, 
and  there  j)rcpared  and  forwarded  to  the  French  Minister, 
Count  de  Pontehartrain,  a  petition  setting  forth  his  mili- 
tary and  other  service  to  his  king  and  country,  and  praying 
that  a  new  command  might  be  assigned  to  him.  The  truth 
of  Tonty's  statements  was  certified  to  by  the  then  aged 


Decline  of  Fort  St.  Louis. 


195 


Count  Frontenac,  who  had  been  reinstated  in  the  governor- 
ship of  Canada  in  1689,  and  who  remained  in  office  until 
his  death  at  Quebec.  In  answer  apparently  to  this  peti- 
tion, the  proprietorship  of  Fort  St.  Louis  of  t^e  Illinois 
was  granted  to  Tonty,  conjointly  with  La  Forrest,  another 
former  lieutenant  of  La  Salle.  Here  they  carried  on  for 
some  years  a  limited  trade  in  furs  with  the  Indians.  In 
1699  a  royal  deci'ee  was  issued  against  the  coureurs  des  boiSy 
who  had  long  lieen  a  source  of  disquietude  to  the  Canadian 
government ;  l)ut  an  express  provision  was  made  in  the 
decree  in  favor  of  Messrs.  Tonty  and  Forrest,  who  were  em- 
powered to  send  up  the  country,  annually,  two  canoes  laden 
with  goods,  with  twelve  men,  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
fort.  Again,  in  1702,  a  provincial  order  was  made  to  the 
effect  that  La  Forrest  should  henceforth  reside  in  Canada, 
and  Tonty  on  the  Mississippi,  and  the  establishment  on  the 
Illinois  was  aiscontinued.  Some  two  years  prior  to  this, 
however,  as  the  sequel  will  more  fully  disclose,  Tonty  joined 
D'Iberville's  colony  in  Lower  Louisiana.  He  thus  finally 
})assed  from  the  country  of  the  Illinois,  where  he  had  been 
a  conspicuous  and  honorable  figure  for  twenty'years,  and 
had  a(rhieved  for  himself  a  name  which  will  outlast  the  ef- 
facing fingers  of  time. 

The  decline  of  Fort  St.  Louis  was  partly  due  to  the 
dispersion  of  the  surrounding  native  tribes,  but  chietiy, 
perhaps,  to  a  change  in  the  main  route  of  French  travel 
and  transit  from  the  great  lakes  to  the  Mississippi ;  the  voy- 
afjcuvs  and  fur-traders  having  found  the  portage  shorter 
and  less  difficult  by  way  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  Rivers, 
than  the  Illinois.  In  1718,  the  fort  was  temi)orarily  re- 
occupied  by  some  French  traders,  but,  three  years  later,  it 
was  again  deserted ;  and  when  Charlevoix  passed  by  the 
Rock  in  1721,  he  saw  only  the  remains  of  its  palisade  and 
rude  buildings. 

The  founding  of  Kaskaskia  has  been  variously  ascribed 
to  members  of  La  Salle's  jnirty,  on  returning  from  their 
exploring  expedition  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  in 
1682;  to  Father  Jacques  (Jvavier  about  1(585;  to  Henri 
de  Tonty  in  1686,  and  to  .j;,liers  still,  explorers  or  mission- 


196 


Illinois  as  a  Dependency  of  Canada. 


aries,  at  different  dates,  in  the  last  quarter  of  the  seven- 
teenth century.  But  the  Kiiskaskia  of  our  time  is  not  so 
old  as  was  formerly  supposed. 

The  original  site  of  this  Indian  settlement  has  heen 
identified  with  that  of  the  trihe  of  the  same  name,  first  found 
on  the  banks  of  the  Illinois  River,  at  or  near  the  wide  bot- 
tom lying  immediately  to  the  south  of  the  modern  town  of 
Utica,  in  La  Salle  county.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
when  Father  Marquette  and  his  companions  returned  from 
their  voyage  of  discovery  down  the  Mississippi  (in  1673), 
they  stopped  at  .a  village  of  the  Kaskaskias,*  on  the  Up- 
per Illinois,  which  then  comprised  seventy-four  lodges. 
Being  very  hospitably  entertained  by  the  villagers,  the 
good  priest,  at  their  request,  returned  thither  in  April, 
1675,  and  began  a  mission  among  them  called  "  The  Im- 
maculate Conception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin."  After  the 
departure  and  death  of  Marquette,  as  already  related, 
Father  Claude  AUouez  was  appointed  to  succeed  him  by 
the  superior  general  of  the  Jesuits  at  Quebec.     , 

Fathei"  Allouez  came  to  America  from  Toulouse, 
France,  in  July,  1658,  and  had  been  actively  and  zealously 
employed,  with  other  priests,  in  planting  Jesuit  missions 
among  the  Indians  of  the  upper  lake  region.  Having  es- 
tablished the  mission  on  Green  Bay,  in  1669,  he  was  as- 
signed to  its  charge,  including  the  neighboring  tribes. 
During  October,  1676,  he  set  out  from  that  station,  with  a 
few  French  attendants,  on  a  voyage  to  his  new  mission  at 
the  Illinois,  and  on  the  way  skirted  the  western  and 
southern  shores  of  Lake  Michigan.  In  his  narrative  of 
this  roundabout  voyage  (printed  in  Shea's  "Discovery  and 
Exploration  of  the  Mississippi"),  the  Father  says: 

"  In  spite  of  all  our  efforts  to  hasten  on,  it  was  the 
27th  of  April  (1677),  before  I  could  reach  Kachkachkia, 
a  large  Illinois  town.  I  immediately  entered  the  cabin 
where  Father  Marquette  had  lodged,  and  the  sachems,  with 


*  On  Thevenot's  reproduction  of  Father  Marquette's  map,  the  name 
of  this  tribe  is  printed  Cachouachouia,  but  on  his  original  map,  as  pre- 
served at  St.  Mary's  College,  Montreal,  it  is  written  Kachkaskia. 


The  Jesuit  Mission  at  the  Illinois. 


197 


all  the  people,  being  aHsembled,  I  toUl  them  the  object  of 
my  coming  among  them,  namely,  to  preach  the  true,  living 
and  inmiortal  God,  and  his  son  Jesus  C'hrist.  They  listened 
very  attentively  to  my  whole  discourse,  and  thanked  me 
for  the  trouble  I  took  for  their  salvation. 

"I  found  this  village  much  increased  since  last  year 
(meaning  probably  1675).  It  was  before  composed  of  only 
one  nation,  the  Kachkachkia.  There  are  now  eight ;  the 
first  having  called  the  others,  who  dwelt  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Mississippi.  You  can  (readily)  form  an  idea 
of  the  number  of  Indians  who  comiK)se  this  town ;  they 
are  lodged  in  three  hundred  and  tift3'-one  cabins,  easily 
counted.  They  are  i.ostly  ranged  on  the  banks  of  the 
river.  The  place  which  they  have  selected  for  their  abode 
is  situate  at  40°  42' ;  it  has  on  one  side  a  prairie  of  vast  ex- 
tent, and  on  the  other  an  expanse  of  marsh,  which  makes  the 
air  unhealthy,  and  often  loaded  with  mists  ;  this  causes  nmch 
sickness  and  frequent  thunder.  They,  however,  like  this 
post,  because  from  it  they  can  easily  discern  their  enemies." 

This  description  corresponds  in  the  main  with  that  of 
Father  Hennepin,*  who  says  that  the  village  was  "situated 
at  forty  degrees  of  latitude,  in  a  somewhat  marshy  plain, 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,"  which  was  "as  broad  as 
the  Seine  before  Paris."  But  some  allowance  must  be 
made  for  the  old  latitude,  which  was  too  low,  and,  with  the 
French  explorers,  was  never  more  than  approximately  cor- 
rect. That  this  Illinois  village  stood  in  the  vicinity  of 
bluffs  or  high  ground  is  evidenced  by  the  remark  of  Al- 

*  The  population  of  this  great  village  liad  still  funher  increased  in  1680, 
when  Hennepin  computed  the  number  of  lodges  at  four  hundred  and 
sixty,  with  several  tires  to  each  lodge.  The  RecoUet  Father  Membre, 
writing  in  the  same  year,  fixes  the  number  of  cabins  at  between  four  and 
Ave  hundred,  and  estimates  the  entire  Indian  population  at  from  seven  to 
(;ight  thousand.  This  large  estimate  probably  indutled  the  "  Cascaskias," 
whose  village  he  locates  south-west  of  the  "  bottom  of  Lake  Dauphin 
(Michigan),  at  about  latitude  41°  north."  In  Margry's  publication  (vol. 
11.,  pp.  128,  175),  as  cited  by  Hhea,  we  are  also  told  that  the  village  of 
the  Kaskaskia  proper,  was  two  leagues  below  the  mouth  of  the  Peste- 
gouki,  or  Fox  (of  Illinois),  and  six  leagues  below  the  confluence  of  the 
Checagou  (Des  Plaines)  and  Teakiki,  and  that  both  it  and  the  great  vil- 
age  were  destroyed  by  the  Iroquois.  . 


198 


Illinois  as  a  Dependency  of  Canada. 


louez,  that,  "  from  it  they  could  easily;  discern  their  ene- 
mies." 

In  his  journal,  just  quoted.  Father  AUouez  relates 
that  he  relaid  the  foundation  of  the  Illinois  mission  by  the 
baptism  of  thirty-five  children,  and  a  sick  adult,  who  soon 
after  died.  He  further  states  that  on  the  3d  of  May,  1677, 
the  anniversary  of  the  Feast  of  the  Holy  Cross,  he  erected 
in  the  village  a  cross  twenty-five  feet  high,  and  chanted  the 
Vexilla  in  the  presence  of  "  a  great  number  of  the  Illinois 
of  all  tribes."  In  1679  he  revisited  this  mission,  and  re- 
mained until  the  approach  of  La  Salle's  expedition  of  that 
year,  when  he  withdrew  to  the  north.  In  1684  he  again 
repaired  to  the  Illinois,  accompanied  by  M.  Durantaye,  who 
then  commanded  at  Mackinac.  He  was  there  sick  in 
1687,  when  the  Cavelier-Joutel  party  reached  Fort  St. 
Louis  from  Texas,  but  left  shortly  after,  on  hearing  that 
La  Salle  was  still  alive.  Although  chiefly  a  missionary  to 
the  Miamis,  AUouez  still  clung  -to  his  Illinois  mission, 
which  he  probably  visited  once  more  in  1689.  He  died  at 
Fort  Miami,  in  1690.  He  is  described  as  the  ablest  of  all 
the  Jesuit  Fathers  sent  to  the  Illinois.  A  man  of  cold  yet 
persevering  temper,  he  seems  to  have  ruled  his  extensive 
charge  principally  by  the  sheer  force  of  intellect. 

The  immediate  successor  of  Father  AUouez,  in  the 
Illinois  mission,  was  Sebastian  Rasles,*  who  embarked 
in  a  canoe  at  Quebec  in  August,  1691,  and  completed  his 
lengthened  voyage  in  the  spring  of  1692.  After  laboring 
with  the  Illinois  for  a  year  or  more,  he  was  recalled  to  his 
original  charge  among  the  Abenakis  on  the  Kennebec,  in 
Maine.  Here,  after  long  years  of  laborious  service,  he  was 
barbarously  slain  by  a  party  of  Kew  England  soldiers  in 
August,  1724. 

Father  Jacques  Gravier,  who  had  visited  the  Illinois 
mission  as  early  as  1687,  received  it  from  Father  Rasles. 
With  the  permission  of  Captain  de  Tonty,  he  erected  a 
chapel  within  the  palisade  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  which  over- 
looked the  Indian  village  across  the  river.     His  relation  of 


*  Otherwise  written  Sebastien  Rasle,  or  Ral^. 


The  Jesuit  Mission  at  the  Illinois. 


199 


occurrences  at  the  "  Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  " 
of  the  Illinois,  from  March  20,  1693,  to  February  15,  1694, 
presents  an  interesting  view  of  his  toils  and  trials  with 
these  Indians.  He  remained  in  general  charge  of  the  mis- 
sion until  1697,  when  he  was  recalled  to  his  former  station 
at  Mackinac.  In  1700,  he  made  a  canoe  voyage,  by  way  of 
the  Illinois  and  Mississippi,  to  the  French  establishment  at 
Biloxi.  Remaining  there  some  time,  he  returned  to  the 
Illinois  and  resumed  his  labors  among  the  Peorias.  Here, 
in  an  assault  upon  him,  instigated  by  the  medicine-men  of 
the  tribe,  he  received  a  serious  wound,  from  the  effects  of 
which  he  subsequently  died  at  the  Mobile,  about  the  year 
1708. 

Father  Gravier  was  among  the  first  of  the  Jesuit  mis- 
sionaries to  investigate  the  principles  of  the  Illinois  lan- 
guage, and  to  reduce  them  to  grammatical  rules.  He  was 
an  earnest,  able,  and  faithful  missionary  priest. 

Gravier  was  succeeded  in  1697  by  the  Fathers  Julian 
Binneteau  and  Jacques  (or  Francois)  Pinet,  the  latter  of 
whom  went  to  labor  among  the  Tamaroas.  Of  Binneteau 
it  is  recorded  b}'  Bancroft,  that,  having  followed  the  Illinois 
in  one  of  their  annual  hunts  on  the  prairies  bordering  the 
Mississippi,  he  was  there  seized  with  a  mortal  fever,  '  and 
his  bones  were  left  to  bleach  on  the  wilderness  range  of 
the  buffalo."     His  death  occurred  in  December,  1699. 

In  1698,  came  Gabriel  Marest,  or  Maret,  who,  four 
years  before,  had  accompanied  D'Iberville  on  a  voyage  to 
Hudson's  Bay,  and  had  chanted  aves  to  the  benighted  Es- 
quimaux on  its  frozen  shores.  Father  Marest  was  espec- 
ially associated  with  the  Kaskaskias,  whose  language  he 
easily  mastered,  and  in  which  he  compiled  a  catechism. 
It  was  under  his  immediate  guidance,  in  the  year  1700,  that 
the  mission  to  the  Kaskaskias  was  removed  from  the  Illi- 
nois River  to  the  Mississippi.  The  subjoined  account  of 
the  transfer  and  migration  of  the  tribe  is  extracted  from  an 
exhaustive  article  upon  the  subject  by  Hon.  E.  G.  Mason, 
of  Chicago,  printed  in  the  "  Magazine  of  American  His- 
tory," for  March,  1881  (Vol.  VI): 

"But  the  evidence,"  says  Mr.  Mason,  "that  this  mia- 


200 


Illinois  as  a  Dependency  of  Canada. 


sion  remained  upon  the  Illinoip  River  until  the  year  1700, 
and  that  there  was  no  settlement  hefore  that  time  upon  the 
site  of  the  Kaskaskia  we  now  know,  appears  to  be  well 
nigh  conclusive.  A  letter  written  to  the  Bishop  of  Quebec 
by  John  Francis  Buisson  de  St.  Cosme,  a  missionary  priest, 
describes  the  journey  of  his  party  from  Michillimackinac 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas,  by  the  Illinois  and  Missis- 
sipj)!  Rivers,  in  the  year  1699.  They  stayed  at  the  house 
of  the  Jesuit  Fathers  at  Chicago,  and  set  out  from  there 
about  November  1st,  on  what  one  of  th'^ir  predecessors 
calls  the  divine  *  river,  named  by  the  Indians  Checagou, 
and  made  the  portage  to  the  river  of  the  Illinois.  Passing 
the  Illinois  village  before  referred  to,  they  learned  that 
most  of  the  Indians  had  gone  to  Peoria  Lake  to  hunt. 
Arriving  there,  they  met  the  Fathers  Pinet  and  Marest, 
with  their  flock,  of  which  St.  Cosme  gives  a  good  account, 
and  he  speaks  of  their  work  as  the  Illinois  mission. 

"  The  party  journeyed  onward  under  the  guidance  of 
La  Salle's  trusty  lieutenant,  Tonti.  While  on  the  Illinois 
River,  certain  Indians  attempted  to  prevent  their  going  to 
the  Mississippi,  and  intimated  that  they  would  be  killed  if 
they  did  so.  Tonti  replied  that  he  did  not  fear  men  ;  that 
they  had  seen  him  meet  the  Iroquois,  and  knew  that  he 
could  kill  men ;  and  the  Indians  offered  no  further  opposi- 
tion. They  reached  the  Mississippi  the  6th  of  December, 
1699,  and  the  next  day  reached  the  village  of  the  Tamarois, 
who  had  never  seen  any  '  black  gown,'  except  for  a  few 
days,  when  the  Reverend  Father  Gravier  paid  them  a  visit. 
A  week  later,  they  ascended  a  rock  on  the  right,  going 
down  the  river,  and  erected  a  beautiful  cross,  which  their 
escort  saluted  with  a  volley  of  musketry,  and  St.  Cosme 
prayed  that  God  might  grant  that  the  cross,  which  had 
never  been  known  in  those  regions,  might  triumph  there. 
From  the  context  of  this  letter,  it  is  evident  that  this  cere- 
mony took  place  not  far  below  che  site  of  the  present  Kas- 
kaskia,  which  St.  Cosme  must  have  passed  to  reach  this 


*  The  term  divine  was  applied  to  the  river  Des  Plaines,  which  was  va- 
riously called  Checagou,  Chekagou,  Chicagou  and  Chigagou,  by  the  early 
explorers. 


Transfer  of  the  Kaskaskia  Mission. 


201 


rock,  but  he  makes  no  mention  of  such  a  village.  Further- 
more, within  fifteen  miles  or  so  of  Kaskaskia,  there  is  a 
rocky  bluff  on  the  Mississippi  side  of  the  river,  then  known 
as  the  Cape  of  the  Five  men,  or  Cap  Cinq  Homines.  This 
is  doubtless  a  corruption  of  the  name  of  the  good  Father 
St.  Cosme,  as  appears  from  a  map  made  a  little  more  than 
one  hundred  years  ago,  which  gives  both  names,  Cinq 
Homines  and  St.  Cosme,  to  this  very  blutf.  It  probably  is 
the  identical  one  he  ascended,  and  he  could  not  have  spoken 
of  the  cross  as  unknown  in  those  regions,  had  there  been 
any  settlement  so  near  the  spot  as  the  Kaskaskia  we  now 
know.  Tonti,  who  was  the  leader  of  this  party,  is  thought 
by  some  to  have  founded  Kaskaskia  in  1686.  Nobler 
founder  could  no  town  have  had  than  this  faithful  and  fear- 
less soldier,  but  the  facts  just  narrated  make  such  a  theory 
impossible. 

"Again  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1700,  a  bold  voy- 
ager, Le  Sueur  (on  his  way  to  the  copper  mines  in  the  Sioux 
country),  whose  journal  is  in  print,  pushed  up  the  Missis- 
sippi from  its  mouth,  where  D'Iberville  had  just  planted  the 
banner  of  France,  and  passed  the  site  of  Kaskaskia  without 
notice  of  £uch  a  place.  He  speaks  of  the  village  of  the  Tam- 
arois,  where  by  this  time,  St.  Cosme  had  taken  up  his  abode 
on  his  return  from  the  south.*  About  July  15th,  going 
northward,  Le  Sueur  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois, 
and  there  met  three  Canadian  voyagcurs  coming  to  join  his 
party,  and  received  by  them  a  letter  from  the  Jesuit  Marest, 


*It  is  doubtful  if  Father  St.  Cosme  ever  returned  from  the  South  as 
above  stated,  unless  for  a  brief  season.  He  was  born  in  France  about 
the  year  1658,  and  ordained  a  Jesuit  priest  in  l(i83.  We  next  find  him 
engaged  as  a  missionary  in  Canada,  from  whence,  in  the  autumn  of 
1699,  he  was  sent  to  establish  a  mission  a-nong  the  Natchez  Indians  on 
the  Lower  Mississippi.  Arrived  thither,  he  soon  gained  the  confidence 
of  the  Sun  Chief  and  the  esteem  of  his  nation,  but  did  not  succeed  very 
well  in  converting  those  sun-worshipers  to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith. 
In  1707,  being  obliged  to  make  a  journey  to  Mobile,  St.  Cosme  embarked 
in  a  canoe  with  three  other  Frenchmen,  and  while  sailing  down  the 
river,  they  were  set  upon  and  killed  by  a  band  of  the  Chetimacha  In- 
dians. The  Natchez,  it  is  said,  avenged  his  death  by  the  slaughter  of 
a  great  part  of  the  offending  tribe. — See  Appleton's  Encyclo.  of  Amer. 
Biog.,  vol.  5,  p.  3G9. 

*      A  •     . 


202 


Illinois  as  a  Dependence  of  Canada. 


dated  July  10, 1700,  at  the  *  Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception of  the  Blessed  Virgin  at  tho  Illinois.'  The  letter  of 
St.  Cosme  and  the  journal  of  Le  Sueur  seem  to  show  clearly 
enough  that  down  to  the  middle  of  the  year  1700,  the  pres- 
ent Kaskaskia  had  not  been  settled,  and  that  the  mission 
was  still  on  the  Illinois  River. 

"And,  lastly,  we  have  the  journal  of  the  vo^'age  of 
Father  James  Gravier,  in  1700,*  i'vorw  the  country  of  the 
Illinois  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi ;  from  which  we 
learn  that  he  returned  from  Michilimackinac,  and  set  ou' 
from  Chicago  on  the  8th  of  September,  1700.  He  says  he 
arrived  too  late  at  the  Illinois,  of  whom  Father  Marest  had 
charge,  to  prevent  tlie  transmigration  of  the  village  of  the 
Kaskaskias,  which  was  too  precipitately  made,  on  vague 
news  of  the  establishment  on  the  Mississippi,  evidently  re- 
ferring to  the  landing  of  D'Iberville  the  year  before.  lie 
did  not  believe  that  the  Kaskaskias,  whom  Marest  accom- 
panied, would  have  separated  from  the  Pcorias  and  other 
Illinois,  had  he  arrived  sooner,  and  he  obtained  a  promise 
from  the  Peoi-ias  to  await  his  return  from  the  Mississippi. 
After  having  nuirched  four  days  with  the  Kaskaskias,  Gra- 
vier went  forward  with  Marest,  whom  he  left  sick  at  the 
Tamarois  village,  and  departed  from  there  October  9,  1700, 
to  go  to  the  lower  part  of  the  Mississippi,  accompanied 
only  by  some  Frenchmen.  The  Indians,  with  Marest,  we 
may  presume,  halted  between  the  Kaskaskia  and  Missis- 
sippi Rivers,  where  we  soon  after  find  them ;  and  tliuB 
doubtless  was  accomplished  the  transfer  of  the  mission  to 
its  final  location.  The  eagerness  of  the  Illinois  tribes  to  be 
in  closer  communication  with  the  French  was  probably  in- 
tensified by  their  desire  to  escape  any  furtiu'r  assaults  from 
their  dreaded  enemies,  and  to  rear  their  wigwams  where 
they  would  never  hear  the  war-cry  of  the  Ii'oquois.  Both 
motives  would  operate  more  powerfully  wit.i  the  Kaskas- 
kias than  with  any  others,  because  they  had  been  longer 


*  Retatior},  <m  Journal  dn  Voyage  dn  li.  P.  Jacques  Graner,  de  la  Com- 
pagide  de  Jfm»,  m  1700,  depm»  k  ptiys  de  Jllinois  jiu^tpr  a.  />'  entbottchure  des 
Misgis»ippi,  p.  08.    CramoiBy  ISerioB  of  lielations,  N.  Y.,  1859. 


Transfer  of  the  Kaskaskia  Mission. 


203 


under  the  influence  of  the  French,  and  because,  in  their  old 
location,  they  were  the  first  to  receive  the  onslaughts  of  the 
relentless  foernen  of  the  Illinois.  Hence  they  set  out  to  go 
to  the  Lower  Mississippi,  but  Gravier's  influence,  and  per- 
haps Marest's  ilhiess  as  well,  led  them  to  pause  at  the  first 
suitable  resting-place.  And  when  we  consider  tliat,  a  few 
years  later,  this  same  Marest,  who  accompanied  these  In- 
dians on  their  migration,  was  stationed  at  the  present  Kas- 
kaskia, in  charge  of  the  Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception, as  appears  from  his  letters ;  that  he  died  and  was 
buried  there,  as  is  shown  by  the  parish  records,  and  that 
we  hear  nothing  further  of  a  mission  of  this  name  on  the 
Illinois  River,  we  may  reasonably  conclude  that  the  Kas- 
kaskia of  our  time  sliould  date  its  origin  from  the  fall  of 
the  year  1700,  and  should  honor  James  Gravier  and  Gabriel 
Marest  as  its  founders." 

Shortly  after  the  transfer  of  the  mission  had  been  ef- 
fected, the  site  of  the  new  settlement  was  fixed  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Kaskaskia  or  Okaw  River,  six  miles  above  its 
confluence  with  the  Missis.^ippi,  and  nearly  two  miles  east 
of  the  latter  river.  It  is  not  improbable  that  an  Indian 
settlement  had  previously  existed  here,  though  this  is  a 
matter  of  conj<K'ture.  The  village  was  christened  by  the 
missionaries  "Z/f  Village  (V  TmmacaUc  Conception  dc  Cas- 
vasqiiias  ;^'  but  no  regularity  of  design  was  observed  by  its 
founders,  nor  was  any  attempt  made  to  profit  by  the  natural 
advantages  of  its  position. 

At  that  pristine  period,  the  scenery  about  Kaskaskia 
was  well  calculated  to  attract  and  please  the  eye  of  such  of 
the  French  missionaries  as  had  a  taste  for  the  beautiful  in 
nature.  "  The  velvet  verdure  of  the  plain,  the  glassy  sur- 
face of  the  idle  river,  the  lofty  hill*  (on  the  east),  with  its 
stately  forest,  the  air  scented  with  the  fragrance  oi'  its  wild 
flowers,  the  little  springs  gushing  from  its  side  in  sparkling 
beauty,  all  rej»osing  in  the  sleep  of  nature,  with  their  virgin 


*  The  rivor  at  Kaskiiskia  was  tliree  hundrtnl  ami  lifty  feet  wide,  and 
the  bluffs  opposite  the  tawu  ripe  to  the  height  of  about  two  hundred 
foet. 


TSSSS^mmm 


204 


Illinois  as  a  Dependency  of  Canada. 


freshness  upon  them, — there  was  a  landscape  to  charm  her 
most  capricious  lover."  * 

For  the  first  few  years  of  her  existence,  Kaskaskia  is 
little  noticed  in  contemporaneous  records,  except  as  a  mis- 
sion station.  The  earl}'^  history  of  the  place  is  mostly  drawn 
from  the  parish  records,  and  the  letters  and  journals  of  tlie 
missionary  priests.  Some  of  these  records  are  in  the  cus- 
tody of  the  priest  of  the  parish,  and  others  are  in  the  keep- 
ing of  the  bishop  of  the  diocese.  The  oldest  record  of  the 
church  at  Kaskaskia  is  the  "  Register  of  Baptisms  of  the 
Mission  of  the  Illinois,  of  the  title  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception of  the  Blessed  Virgin."  The  first  entrv  in  it,  ac- 
cord'ng  to  Breese,  bears  date  March  20,  1695.  Retaining 
the  French  spelling  of  the  names,  it  reads  as  follows  : 

"  In  the  year  1695,  March  20th,  I,  Jacques  Gravier,  of 
the  Society  of  Jesus,  baptized  Pierre  Aco,  newly-born  of  P. 
Michael  Aco.  Godfather  was  De  JIautchy,  godmother 
Maria  Aramipinchicoue ;  Maria  Joanna,  grandmother  of  the 
child."! 

This  entry  is  claimed  to  be  a  copy  of  the  original  rec- 
ord, which  was  made  before  the  removal  of  the  mission 
from  the  Upper  Illinois  River.  The  register  was  continued 
until  June  1719,  when  the  mission  of  Kaskaskia  was 
changed  into  a  parish.  A  new  baptismal  register  was  then 
opened,  which  bears  this  French  title :  "  Heglstre  des  Bap- 
tems  fails  dans  UEglisse  de  la  Mission  et  Parois^^e  de  la  Con- 
ception de  Notre  Dame,  commence  le  18  Jain,  1719." 

Marriage  and  burial  registers  were  likewise  kept  from 
quite  an  early  date,  and  were  continued  down,  with  varying 
regularity,  until  toward  the  middle  of  the  ])resont  century. 
On  these  venerable  records  appear  the  signatures  of  many 
men  of  note  and  ii.fluence  in  the  early  French  history  of 
Illinois. 
,     In   1707,  Father  Marest  was  joined  at  Kaskaskia  l)y 


*Br(H>8(''H  F':nrly  lliHt.  of  III.,  p.  15.']. 

t  It  is  aflirnu'd  that  Miclmel  Aco's  wifo  was  the  (lauj?liter  of  a  Kas- 
kankia  ol»ief,  and  that  he  was  the  identioal  Ako,  or  Accault,  who  accom- 
panied Kriar  Ihunu'pin  in  his  voyage  of  exi)lon\tiou  up  tiie  Mississippi 
iu  l'>80. 


Early  History  of  the  Present  Kaskaskia.  205 

Father  Jean  Mermet,  who  had  previously  attempted  a  mis- 
siou  among  the  Mascoutiiis  and  others  on  the  Lower  Ohio, 
and  liad  also  labored  at  the  great  village  of  the  Illinois. 
Mr.  Bancroft,  in  the  third  volume  of  his  History  of  the 
[Jnited  States,  gives  us  the  following  distinct  picture  of 
Father  Mermet's  labors  and  success  at  Kaskaskia : 

"  The  gentle  virtues  and  fervid  eloquence  of  Mermet 
made  him  the  soul  of  the  mission  of  Kaskaskia.     At  early 
dawn  his  pupils  came  to  church,  dressed  neatly  and  mod- 
estly, each  in  a  deerskin,  or  a  robe  sewn  together  from  sev- 
eral skins.     After  receiving  lessons,  they  chanted  canticles; 
mass  was  then  said  in  presence  of  all  the  Christians,  the 
French,  and  the  converts,  the  women  on  tlie  one  side  and 
the  men  on  the  other.     From  prayers  and  instructions,  the 
missionaries  proceeded  to  visit  the  sick  and  administer  med- 
icine, and  their  skill  as  physicians  did  more  than  all  the 
rest  to  win  contidence.     Iii  the  afternoon  the  catechism  was 
taught  in  the  presence  of  the  young  and  the  old,  v/hen  every 
one,  without  distinction  of  rank  or  age,  answered  the  ques 
tions  of  the  missionary.     At  evening  all  would  assemble  at 
the  chapel  for  instruction,  for  prayer,  and   to  chant  the 
hymns  of  the  church.     On  Sundays  and  festivals,  even  after 
vespers,  a  homily  was  pronounced ;  at  the  close  of  the  day 
parties  would  meet  in  houses  to  recite  the  chaplets  in  alter- 
nate choirs,  and  sing  psalms  until   late  at  night.     These 
psalms  were  often    homilies,  with   words    set  to  familiar 
tunes.     Saturday  and  Sunday  were  the  days  appointed  for 
confession   and  communion,   and  every  convert  confessed 
once  in  a  fortnight."* 

This  description  by  Bancroft  is  chiefly  drawn  fnnn  a 
narrative  letterwritten  by  Father  Marest  to  Father  (iermon, 
dated  November  9,  1712,  and  ]>ublished  in  the  Lettrcs  Edifi- 
aiitcs,  at  Paris.  In  the  course  of  that  lettei-,  Marest  remarks  : 
"The  Illinois  are  much  less  barbarous  than  the  other  Indians. 
Christianity  and  their  intercourse  with  tlie  Frencii  Inive 
somewhat  civilized  them.     ...     It  would  be  ditticult  to 


*  Fnthor  Mei-nu't  continued  to  labor  at  the  KankaHkia  miesion  unti! 
liiH  death  in  17 IK. 


206 


Illinois  as  a  Dependency  of  Canada. 


say  what  is  their  religion.  It  consists  entirely  in  some 
superstitions  with  which  their  credulity  is  amused." 

These  missionary  priests  were  truly  a  heroic  and  self- 
devoted  class  of  men.  Of  their  hard  and  trying  manner  of 
life,  the  same  father  gives  us  some  glimpses  in  his  printed 
correspondence.  On  Good  Friday,  in  the  year  1711,  he  set 
out  on  a  trip  across  the  country  to  the  Peorias,  who  wanted 
a  new  mission  opened  among  them.  Concerning  this  journey 
on  foot  through  the  wilderness,  he  thus  vividly  writes : 

"  I  departed,  having  nothing  about  me  but  my  crucifix 
and  breviary,  and  being  accompanied  bv  only  two  savages, 
who  might  abandon  me  from  levity,  or  might  fly  through 
fear  of  enemies.  The  terror  of  these  vast,  uninhabited 
regions,  in  which  for  twelve  days  not  a  single  soul  was 
seen,  almost  took  away  my  courage.  This  was  a  journey 
wherein  there  was  no  village,  no  bridge,  no  ferry-boat,  no 
house,  no  beaten  path,  and  over  boundless  priiiries,  inter- 
sected by  rivulets  and  rivers,  through  forests  and  thickets 
filled  with  briars  and  thorns,  through  marshes  in  which  we 
sometimes  plunged  to  the  girdle.  At  night  repose  was 
sought  on  the  grass  or  leaves,  exposed  to  the  winds  and 
rains,  happy  if  by  the  side  of  some  rivulet,  whose  waters 
might  quench  our  thirst.  Meals  were  prepared  from  such 
game  as  might  be  killed  on  the  way,  or  by  roasting  ears  of 
corn." 

Father  Marest  was  longer  in  missionary  service  with 
the  Illinois  Indians  than  any  of  his  })redecessors.  lie  died, 
it  is  said,  near  Peoria,  September  17,  1715. 

It  has  been  a  mooted  cpiestion  among  Illinois  antiiiua- 
rians  as  to  which  is  the  more  ancient  of  the  two  villages, 
Kaskiiskia  or  Cahokia.  Pittman,  in  his  account  of  the 
Frencii  Settlements,  says  that  Cahokia  "was  the  first  settle- 
ment on  the  Mississippi;"  and  in  the  "Annals  of  the  West" 
it  is  stated  that  "Cahokia  appears  to  liave  been  a  trading 
post  and  missionary  station  earlier  than  Kaskaskia."  These 
statements  are  su})ported  by  the  weight  of  probability, 
though  the  ditterence  in  age  between  the  two  can  hardly 
exceed  one  year.  According  to  Bnuise's  History,  the  Jesuit 
Fathers    Pinot   and   Hinneteau  established  the  mission  at 


Founding  of  Cahokia. 


207 


Cahokia,  and  christened  the  little  community  which  grew 
up  around  it  by  the  name  of  aS^^.  Famille  de  Caoquias.  It 
is  doubtful,  however,  if  Father  Binneteau  ever  labored  at 
this  mission. 

"  The  credit  of  establishing  the  mission  of  Cahokia,  at 
first  called  Tamaroa,  belongs  to  Rev.  Jacques  Pinet,  but  at 
what  date  has  been  a  matter  of  dispute.  Up  to  the  time  of 
St.  Cosme's  visit  to  the  Tamaroas  in  1699,  it  appears  that  no 
'black  gown '  had  been  seen  there,  except  Father  Gravier 
for  a  few  days.  The  following  year,  however,  when  Le 
Sueur  had  reached  this  village  (where  he  remained  seven- 
teen days),  he  found  three  French  missionaries,  viz.:  Rev. 
J.  Bergier,  and  Fathers  Pinet  and  Joseph  de  Limogerj,  and 
also  a  number  of  Canadian  traders,  who  were  purchasing  furs 
and  skins.  In  October  of  the  same  year  (1700),  Father 
Gravier  mentions  the  fact  in  his  journal  that,  on  his  way 
down  the  Mississippi,  he  stopped  at  the  village  of  the  Tam- 
aroas, and  found  Father  Pinet  there,  '  peaceably  discharg- 
ing tiie  functions  of  a  missionary,  and  Rev.  M.  Bergier, 
also,'  who  had  care  only  of  the  French.  Father  Bergier 
remained  at  Cahokia  until  his  death,  July  16,  1710."  * 

Father  Pinet  met  with  unusual  success  in  his  mission 
at  Cahokia,  and  soon  found  his  chapel  too  small  to  accom- 
modate the  crowds  that  resorted  thither  to  tlie  mass.  The 
Indians  under  his  spiritual  charge  were  the  Tamaroas  and 
Cahokias,  the  latter  being  an  allied  tribe  or  branch  of  the 
former.  The  imposing  rites  of  the  Roman  Church  were 
well  calculated  to  awe  the  senses  of  these  ignorant  and 
superstitious  savages,  but  the  religious  imi)ression8  made 
upon  their  minds  were  feeble  and  transient,  and  when  away 
from  the  influence  and  guidance  of  the  priests,  they  were 
prone  to  relapse  into  the  excesses  of  barbarism. 

When  the  village  of  Cahokia  was  originally  e8tal)li8hed 
(say  in  1699),  it  stood  upon  the  immediate  bank  of  the 
Mississippi;   but  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  the  river 


*  "  Illinois,  Historical  tuid  StatiBtical."     By  John  Mohcs,  Chicago, 
1889,  Vol.  I.,  p.  86. 


mm 


208 


Illinois  as  a  Dependency  of  Canada. 


shifted  its  bed  to  the  west,  so  as  to  leave  the  village  some 
distance  inland.  It  long  remained  a  place  of  considerable 
importance  for  trade,  though  there  was  never  any  thing 
attractive  in  its  situation  or  environs.  At  present  it  is  a 
straggling,  decayed,  and  antiquated  little  village,  seated  on 
a  sandy  ridge  in  the  American  Bott(mi,  opposite  Caron do- 
let,  and  about  one  mile  east  from  the  Mississippi  River. 

Besides  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  other  French  villages 
afterward  sprang  up  in  that  vicinity,  which  will  be  noticed 
hereafter.  Other  and  branch  missions  were  also  established 
among  the  Illinois  Indians  by  the  zeal  and  enterprise  of  the 
Jesuit  clergy,  who,  prior  to  the  introduction  of  any  form 
of  civil  government  in  the  country,  officiated  in  the  double 
capacity  of  spiritual  directors  and  temporal  rulers  of  the 
people. 

Although  anticipating  somewhat  the  chronological  or- 
der of  events  in  our  history,  we  make  space  here  for  the 
following  extracts  from  Father  Charlevoix'  interesting  and 
instructive  description  of  the  Illinois  country,  through 
which  he  traveled  with  an  armed  escort  in  the  autumn  of 
1721.     Of  Peoria,  then  still  an  Indian  village,  he  says: 

"  The  two  following  days,  we  traveled  a  charmin" 
country  ;  and  the  3d  of  October,  about  noon,  we  found  our- 
selves at  the  entrance  of  Lake  Pimiteouy.  It  is  the  river 
which  grows  wider  here,  and  which  for  three  leagues  is 
one  league  in  breadth.  At  the  end  of  these  three  leagues, 
we  find  on  the  right  a  second  village  of  the  Illinois,  distant 
about  fifteen  leagues  from  tliat  at  the  Rock.*  Nothing  can 
be  more  pleasant  than  the  situation  ;  it  has  over  against  it, 
as  in  perspective,  a  very  fine  forest,  which  was  then  of  all 
colors,  and  beliind  it  a  plain  of  immense  extent,  bordered 
with  woods.  The  lake  and  tlie  river  swarm  with  fish,  and 
their  sides  with  wild  fowl.  I  met  also  in  this  village  four 
French-Canadians,  who  informed  me  that  I  was  between 
four  parties  of  enemies,  and  that  it  was  unsafe  for  me  either 
to  go  forward  or  return." 


*  Hy  the  course  of  the  river,  the  distance  was  nearer  thirty  thau  fif- 
teen leagues. 


/  . 


Charlevoix'  Visit  to  the  Illinois. 


209 


Accompanied  by  two  of  the  Canadians  from  Peoria  as 
guides,  Charlevoix  and  party  resunied  their  journey,  and 
next  stopped  at  Cahokia,  concerning  which  village,  and  the 
missionaries  stationed  there,  he  thus  writes : 

"  The  same  day  (10th  of  October),  we  went  to  lay  in 
a  village  of  the  Caoquias  and  Tamarouas.  These  are  two 
nations  of  the  Illinois  which  are  united,  and  who  do  not 
together  make  a  very  numerous  village.  It  is  situated  on 
a  little  river  which  comes  from  the  east,  and  which  has  no 
water  but  in  the  spring  season  ;  so  that  we  were  forced  to 
walk  a  good  half  league  to  the  cabins.  I  was  surprised 
that  they  had  chosen  such  an  inconvenient  situation,  as 
they  might  have  found  a  much  better ;  but  they  told  me 
that  the  Mississippi  washed  the  foot  of  the  village  when  it 
was  built,  and  that  in  three  years  it  (the  river)  had  lost  half 
a  league  of  ground,  and  that  they  were  thinking  of  looking 
out  for  another  settlement.  I  passed  the  night  in  the  house 
of  the  missionaries,  who  are  two  ecclesiastics  of  the  Sem- 
inary of  Quebec,  formerly  my  disciples,  but  who  might  now 
be  my  masters.  The  oldest  of  the  two  (Dominique  A. 
Thaumer)  was  absent.  I  found  the  youngest  (Francois  le 
^lercier)  such  as  he  has  been  reported  to  me,  severe  to 
himself,  full  of  charity  for  others,  and  making  virtue  ami- 
able in  his  own  person  But  he  has  so  little  health,  that  I 
think  he  can  not  long  support  tlie  way  of  life  which  they 
are  obliged  to  lead  in  these  missions." 

Of  Kaskaskia  and  its  environs,  the  same  traveler 
writes  :  "  I  arrived  next  day  (the  12th)  at  the  Kaskasquias, 
at  nine  in  the  morning.  The  .Jesuits  had  here  a  very  tlour- 
isliing  mission,  which  has  lately  been  divided  into  two,  be- 
cause it  was  thought  proper  to  form  two  villages  of  sav- 
ages instead  of  one.  The  most  populous  is  on  the  side  of 
the  Mississippi ;  two  Jesuits*  have  the  government  of  it  in 
epiritual  affairs.  Half  a  league  lower  is  Fort  Chaitres, 
about  a  musket-shot  from  the  river.  M.  Duquet  de  Bois- 
briant,  a  Canadian  gentleman,  commands  Vicre  for  the  Com- 

*  Fathers  Boulanger  and  Kereben. 

14 


210 


Illinois  as  a  Dependency  of  Canada. 


pany,  to  which  the  place  belongs  ;  and  all  the  space  be- 
tween the  two  places  begins  to  be  peopled  by  the  French. 
Four  leagues  further,  and  two  leagues  from  the  river,  there 
is  a  large  village  of  French,  who  are  almost  all  Canadians, 
and  have  a  Jesuit  for  their  priest.  The  second  village  ot 
the  Illinois  is  two  leagues  distant  from  it  and  farther  up  the 
country,  and  is  under  the  charge  of  a  priest. 

"  The  French  here  are  pretty  much  at  their  ease.  A 
Fleming,  who  was  a  servant  of  the  Jesuits,  has  taught 
them  how  to  sow  wheat,  and  it  thrives  very  well.  They 
have  some  horned  cattle  and  fowls.  The  Illinois  cultivate 
the  lands  after  their  fashion,  and  are  very  laborious.  They 
likewise  breed  poultry,  which  they  sell  to  the  French. 
Their  women  are  sufficient!}^  dexterous ;  they  spin  the  buf- 
falo's wool,  and  make  it  as  fine  as  that  of  the  English 
sheep.  Sometimes  one  would  even  take  it  for  silk.  They 
make  stufis  of  it,  which  they  dye  black,  yellow  and  dark 
red ;  they  make  gowns  of  it,  which  they  sew  with  thread 
made  of  the  sinews  of  the  roebuck.  They  expose  these  to 
the  sun  for  three  days,  and  when  dry  beat  them,  and  with- 
out difficulty  draw  out  threads  of  great  fineness. 

"All  this  country  is  open.  It  consists  of  vast  meadows 
(prairies)  which  extend  for  twenty-five  leagues,  and  are 
separated  by  little  groves  that  are  all  of  good  wood." 

Remaining  at  Kaskaskia  for  a  month,  Charlevoix  re- 
sumed his  way  down  the  Mississippi,  and  reached  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Ohio  about  the  15th  of  November,  1721. 
With  regard  to  this  river  (then  still  called  the  Ouabache), 
and  the  advantage  of  having  a  settlement  at  its  mouth,  his 
journal  says : 

"  Immediately  after  this  reach,  we  passed  on  the  left 
by  the  fine  river  Ouabache,  by  which  one  can  go  quite  up 
to  the  Iroquois,  when  the  waters  are  high.  Its  entrance 
into  the  Mississippi  is  a  little  less  than  a  quarter  of  u 
league  wide.  There  is  no  place  in  Louisiana  more  fit,  in 
my  opinion,  for  a  settlement  than  this,  nor  where  it  is  of 
more  consecpience  to  have  one."  * 


*  Vide  "An  Historical  Journal  of  Travels  in  North  America,  utjder- 


Charlevoix'  Life  and  Works. 


211 


be- 
nch, 
liere 
ians, 
je  ot 
n  the 


5.    A 

lught 
Tliey 
tiviite 

They 
rench. 
le  l)ut'- 
higlish 

They 
d  dark 

tlireiitl 
:liese  to 
d  with- 

eadows 
iind  are 

roix  re- 

blie  con- 

ir,  1721. 

ibache), 

iutb,  his 

the  left 
luite  up 
jutrauce 
ber  of  a 
Ire  fit,  hi 
it  if<  <>t' 


taken  by  order  of  the  King  of  France."     By  Father  Charlevoix  (English 
Translation,  London,  1763),  pp.  284-2'Jl,  and  303. 


Pierre  Francois  Xavier  de  Charlevoix,  an  eminent  Jesuit  scholar, 
historian,  and  traveler,  was  born  at  St.  Quentin,  in  the  North  of  France, 
October  29, 1682.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus, 
and  while  still  a  student  of  divinity  was  sent  to  Canada  in  1705.  During 
the  succeeding  four  years  he  taught  in  the  Jesuit  College  at  Quebec, 
and  afterward  returned  to  France,  where  he  was  made  a  professor  of 
bellfK-lettres  in  one  of  the  Jesuit  universities.  In  1720  he  again  came  to 
Canada,  and  during  the  next  year  ascended  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  and 
the  great  lakes  to  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan,  from  whence  he  entered 
and  traversed  the  Illinois  country.  Descending  the  Mississippi  to  New 
Orleans,  he  thence  visited  the  French  establishments  at  Biloxi  and  on 
the  Mobile,  and  afterward  sailed  via  St.  Domingo  to  France,  whither  he 
arrived  (1722)  after  an  absence  of  two  years. 

Charlevoix  was  author  of  several  learned  and  valuable  works.  He 
first  published  a  history  of  the  Catholic  Missions  in  Japan,  which  was 
followed  by  a  history  of  Saint  Domingo ;  and  in  1744  his  Histoire  de 
NouveUe  France,  which  had  been  withlield  for  nearly  twenty  years,  ap- 
peared in  three  large  volumes.  Although  quoted  and  praised  by  schol- 
ars, no  translation  of  it  was  made  from  the  French  until  somewhat  re- 
cently, when  an  edition  in  FiPglish,  with  copious  notes,  was  published 
by  Dr.  John  G.  Shea  (N.  Y.,  1865-72),  in  six  volumes. 

About  the  year  1744,  Charlevoix  also  published  his  Journal  of  Trav- 
els in  North  America,  in  tlie  form  of  letters  addressed  to  the  Ducliesse 
de  Lesdiguiere.  It  is  averred  that  from  this  work  the  British  Ministry 
first  gained  a  correct  notion  of  Canada  and  its  dependencies,  and  of  the 
great  advantages  to  be  derived  from  the  possession  of  that  country. 
The  last  literary  performance  of  our  author  was  his  History  of  Para- 
guay, which  contains  a  full  account  of  the  operations  of  the  Jesuits  in 
that  southern  quarter  of  the  globe. 

Charlevoix  died  in  La.  Fidche,  France,  on  February  1,  1761,  at  a 
green  old  age. 


I 


lea,  under- 


212 


Settlement  of  Lower  Louisiana. 


CHAPTER   XL 


161)8-171]. 


PERMANENT    SETTLEMENT    OF   LOWER   LOUISIAJ^A. 


By  the  treaty  concluded  at  Ryswick,  in  1697,  Louis 
XIV.  relinquished  nearly  all  of  his  European  conquests, 
and  recognized  the  Prince  of  Orange  as  King  of  England, 
Temporary  tranquillity  being  thus  restored  in  Western 
Europe,  Louis  had  some  leisure  to  devote  to  his  American 
possessions,  and  to  the  renewal  of  his  former  endeavor  to 
establish  a  colony  at  or  near  the  embouchure  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River.  This  monarch  was  obviously  ambitious  to 
enhance  the  glories  of  his  reign  by  creating  for  France  a 
colonial  dominion  on  the  sunny  shores  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  which  might  rival  the  flourishing  English  settle- 
ments on  the  Atlantic  coast.  Accordingly,  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year  1698,  he  gave  orders  for  the  fitting  out  of 
a  suitable  expedition  to  colonize  Louisiana.  The  command 
of  this  royal  enterprise  was  entrusted  to  Captain  d'lber- 
ville,  a  distinguished  young  naval  officer,  whose  energy, 
tact,  administrative  ability,  and  varied  experience  pecu- 
liarly qualified  him  for  so  arduous  and  important  an  un- 
dertaking. 

Pierre  le  Moyne,*  Sieur  d'lberville,  was  a  native  of 
Canada,  having  been  born  in  Montreal,  July  16,  1661.  He 
was,  it  is  said,  the  third  son  of  Charles  le  Moyne,  himself  a 
gallant  soldier,  and  was  one  of  eleven  brothers,  seven  of 
whom  died  naval  officers.  When  but  a  boy  of  fourteen, 
Pierre  entered  the  French  navy  as  a  midshipman,  and  by 
meritorious  service  rose  rapidly  in  his  profession.  In  1692 
he  became  captain  of  a  frigate,  and,  ten  years  later,  cap- 
tain of  a  line-of-battle-ship.     During  this  period  of  active 


*By  some  authors,  this  family  name  is  written  Lemoine. 


Iberville's  Colonizing  Expeditioji. 


213 


service,  he  acquitted  liiniself  not  only  as  a  brave  and  skill- 
ful naval  officer,  but  as  an  effieietit  agent  of  the  French 
government  in  settling  colonies  in  Acadia  and  Cape  Breton 
Island.  In  1697  he  made  a  cruise  with  his  ship,  the  Peli- 
can, into  the  misty  and  frigid  waters  of  Hudson's  Bay, 
where  he  engaged  and  sunk  an  English  man-of-war,  cap- 
tured her  two  consorts,  and  reduced  Fort  Nelson,  or  Fort 
Bourbon,  as  it  was  called  by  the  French.  Returning  to 
France  from  this  brilliant  cruise,  he  sought  and  obtained 
command  of  the  new  colonizing  expedition  to  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

On  the  24th  of  September,  1698,  Captain  d'Iberville 
set  sail  from  Rochelle  upon  his  distant  and  uncertain  en- 
terprise, taking  with  him  M.  de  Sau voile,*  and  his  young 
brother,  Bienville.  His  squadron  consisted  of  two  frigates, 
the  Badine  and  Marin,  of  thirty  guns  each  (the  former  was 
commanded  by  himself,  and  the  latter  by  the  Comte  de 
Surgeres)  and  two  smaller  ships,  bearing  a  company  of 
marines  and  about  two  hundred  colonists.  A  majority  of 
the  latter  were  ex-soldiers,  who  had  served  in  the  armies 
of  France,  some  of  whom  were  accompanied  by  their 
wives  and  children.  The  other  colonists  were  made  up  ot 
artisans,  laborers,  and  needy  adventurerr,.  They  were  all 
supplied  with  the  necessary  clothing,  provisions  and  im- 
plements for  beginning  a  settlement  in  the  remote  solitudes 
of  Louisiana.  Stopping  at  Brest  to  complete  his  outfit, 
the  commander  sailed  from  that  port  on  the  24th  of  Octo- 
ber, shaping  his  general  course  to  the  south-west.  After 
an  auspicious  passage,  he  dropped  anchor  in  the  haven 
of  Cape  Francois,  now  Cape  Ilaytjen,  St.  Domingo,  late  in 
the  following  December. 

On  arriving  thither,  his  fleet  was  joined  by  the  war 
ship  Le  Francois,  of  fifty  guns,  commanded  by  the  Mar- 
quis de  Chateaumorant,  who  had  received  orders  to  escort 
the  expedition  to  its  destination.     Being  thus  reinforced, 


*It  is  doubtful  if  Sauvolle  belonged  to  the  Le  Moyne  family  of 
brothers,  though  Mr.  Gayarre  treats  him  as  a  full  brother,  and  tella 
us  that  he  inherited  a  fortune  from  his  godfather. 


^ss^mmr  ^jp 


214 


Settlement  of  Lower  Louisiana. 


D'Iberville  again  put  to  sea  on  the  Ist  of  January,  1699, 
taking  the  route  via  Cape  San  Antonio,  at  the  western  end 
of  Cuba.  Having  doubled  that  cape  on  the  15th  of  Janu- 
ary, he  steered  northward  over  the  Mexican  Guif,  and 
reached  the  southern  shore  of  Florida  on  the  24th.  An- 
choring his  ships  securely  off  the  Island  of  Santa  Rosa, 
he  then  proceeded  to  reconnoiter  the  Bay  of  Pensacola 
(called  by  the  Spaniards  Santa  Maria  de  Galva),  where  he 
found  two  Spanish  war  vessels,  and  a  small  fort  and  garri- 
son. Upon  sending  in  a  boat  with  two  officers,  the  Spanish 
commander  received  them  politely,  but  refused  the  French 
permission  to  enter  with  their  vessels.  The  Spaniards  had 
long  been  in  possession  of  East  Florida,  but  it  was  not 
until  they  had  learned  that  a  French  armament  was  fitting 
out  for  the  western  coast  of  the  peninsula,  that  they  made 
haste  to  establish  this  military  post  on  Pensacola  Bay. 
The  new  erection,  therefore,  was  an  obvious  indication  of 
their  intention  to  anticipate,  and,  if  possible,  frustrate  the 
designs  of  the  French  in  these  waters. 

Leaving  Pensacola  Bay  and  standing  along  the  low 
coast  to  the  west,  D'Iberville,  on  the  Slst  of  the  month, 
cast  anchor  off  Dauphin  Island,  lying  on  the  west  and  near 
the  entrance  of  Mobile  Bay.  This  Island  was  first  named 
by  the  French  Isle  de  Massacre,  from  the  circumstance  that 
on  its  level  surface  was  found  a  mound  composed  'f  earth 
and  th^  bones  of  long  dead  Indians,  who  had  fallen  there 
in  coiiibr^.  with  their  enemies.  Sailing  still  farther  west- 
ward, the  French  commander  next  discovered  a  group  of 
small  islands,  to  which  was  given  the  name  of  Isles  des 
Chandeleur.  Anchoring  his  frigates  near  them,  he  went  to 
ex-imine  the  channel  between  Cat  Island  and  Ship  Island, 
ruid,  having  landed  his  colonists  on  the  latter,  he  caused 
temporary  huts  to  be  erected  there  for  their  shelter  from 
the  weather.  The  Marquis  de  Chateaumorant,  having  now 
fulfilled  his  mission,  and  finding  the  waters  on  this  coast 
too  shallow  to  remain  long  in  safety  with  his  large  frigai-', 
sailed  away  on  his  return  to  St.  Domingo. 

About  the  11th  of  February,  Iberville  sent  his  brother 
Bienville,  with  a  felucca  and  canoe,  to  the  mainland,  which 


Iberville  Enters  the  Mouth  of  the  Mississippi.         215 

lay  about  four  leagues  to  the  north  of  his  anchorage. 
Having  entered  a  little  bay,  the  exploring  party  discovered 
several  piroques  filled  with  half-naked  savages,  who  fled 
with  consternation  at  the  approach  of  the  Frenchmen.  On 
the  next  day,  however,  the  latter  contrived  to  intercept  a 
woman  of  the  Indians,  by  whom  they  were  enabled  to 
open  an  intercourse  with  her  tribe,  which  was  the  Bilocci, 
or  Biloxi — a  name  given  by  the  French  to  the  bay  itself. 
On  the  evening  of  the  same  day  there  arrived  at  this  bay  a 
war  party  of  some  eighty  Bayagoulas,  so  called,  who  were 
then  at  war  with  the  Indians  on  the  Mobile.  From  the 
former  it  was  learned,  by  the  language  of  signs  (for  th  M^e 
was  no  interpreter,)  that  they  dwelt  oft'  to  the  south-west, 
on  the  shores  of  a  large  and  deep  river,  called  by  them  the 
Malabouchid.  Having  ascertained  by  further  inquiry  among 
the  natives  the  probable  distance  and  course  of  the  un- 
known river,  Iberville  prepared  to  go  in  quest  of  it. 

Accordingly,  on  the  27th  of  February,  he  set  oft*  from 
Isle  de  Vaisseau  (Ship  Island)  with  two  shallops,  carrying 
twenty-four  men  each — one  of  which  was  commanded  by 
Bienville — and  took  with  him  as  a  guide  Father  Anastase 
Doua}'^,  who  had  been  a  companion  of  La  Salle  in  hi^;  last 
Mississippi  expedition.  Sailing  cautiously  southward  along 
the  low  and  marshy  coast,  at  the  end  of  three  days  the  voy- 
agers happily  discovered  the  outlet  of  the  "  hidden  river," 
which  it  was  believed  no  European  vessel  had  as  yet  pene- 
trated from  the  sea.  On  the  2d  of  March  they  entered 
one  of  its  principal  passes,  which  Father  Anastase*  thought 
he  recognized  as  the  Mississippi,  from  its  turbid  and  seeth- 
ing waters.  On  the  3d  they  began  to  ascend  the  river,  and, 
after  seven  days  of  sailing  and  rowing,  had  attained  a  dis- 


*  Father  Douay,  as  Hennepin  informs  us,  was  a  native  of  Quesnoy 
in  Ilainault,  and,  subsequent  to  his  return  from  America  in  1688,  had 
been  appointed  vicar  of  the  Recollet  convent  at  Cainbray.  Remaining 
there  until  summoned  to  join  D'Iberville's  colonizing  expedition,  he 
probably  returned  with  the  latter  to  France  in  1()9*.),  since  we  find  no 
further  mention  of  him  in  Louisiana.  We  were  pleased  to  have  met 
with  P6re  Anastase  once  more; ;  and  now  that  he  disappears  from  the 
historic  page,  we  can  only  say,  hail !  and  farewell. 


216 


Settlement  of  Lower  Louisiana. 


tance  of  forty  leagues  from  the  Gulf.  Here  our  explorers 
came  upon  three  pirogues  filled  with  naked  savages,  who 
hastily  fled  at  their  advance.  One  of  the  natives,  however, 
was  overtaken  in  his  flight,  and  by  making  him  some  trifling 
presents,  which  gained  his  good  will,  he  was  induced  to 
bring  V)ack  his  companions.  They  belonged  to  the  tribe 
of  the  Bayagoulas,  and  readily  undertook  to  conduct  the 
Frenchmen  to  their  village,  further  up  the  river,  which  was 
reached  on  the  14th  of  March.  It  was  found  to  contain 
between  four  and  five  hundred  inhabitants,  and  nmstered 
about  one  hundred  warriors.  Among  the  villagers  were 
found  stuffs  of  European  fabric,  said  to  have  been  given 
them  by  La  Salle  or  Tonty.  The  chiefs  of  the  BayagoulaB 
received  their  French  visitors  in  a  very  civil  manner,  and 
gave  to  them,  among  other  things,  a  few  domestic  fowls, 
which  they  claimed  to  have  reared  from  some  they  had  ob- 
tained from  nations  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi,  near 
the  seashore.  Such  fowls  were  not  uncommon  among  the 
southern  Indians  at  this  time,  tliough  it  seems  that  they 
were  kept  more  as  pets  than  for  use  as  an  article  of  food. 
They  were  doubtless  originally  l)rought  to  the  country  by 
the  Spaniards. 

M.  d'Iberville  was  still  in  doubt  whether  the  river  he 
■was  ascending  was  the  Mississippi  or  not ;  for  lie  had  not 
as  yet  seen  or  heard  of  the  Tangibaos,  of  whom  La  Salle 
had  made  mention.  TTpon  inquiry,  however,  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  tiiis  snudl  tribe  had  been  destroyed  by  another 
called  the  Mongoulachas,  or  Bayagoulas,  the  Quinipissas  of 
La  Salle  and  Tonty.  Soon  afterward,  Bienville  found  iu 
tlie  possession  of  one  of  these  natives  a  letter  wh'ch  Tonty 
had  penned  to  La  Salle,  and  left  in  the  keeping  of  a  chief 
of  the  Quinipissas  tribe,  on  the  occasion  of  liis  trip  to  tlie 
Gulf  in  tlie  spring  of  1686.*     This  opportune  discovery 

♦This  letter  of  Touty's,  to  which  we  have  previously  nlluded,  or  so 
much  of  it  as  was  published,  reads  as  follows  : 

"  Vii.LAOK  OF  TirK  Q  iNU'iKSAs,  April  20,  1085  (ItiHO). 

"(Sir;  Havinj?  found  the  posts  on  which  you  had  set  up  the  King's 
arms  thrown  down  by  driftwood,  I  luive  [)lanted  another  further  in, 
about  seven  U'ligueH  from  the  sta.  where   I   left  a  letter  in  a  tree  be- 


Iberville  Explores  the  Lower  Mississippi. 


217 


dissipated  all  doubts  in  the  minds  of  Iberville  and  his  asso- 
ciates as  to  what  river  they  were  navigating,  and  inspired 
them  with  fresh  confidence  to  continue  their  upward  voy- 
age. Among  tlie  Indians  of  this  delta  region,  they  also 
found  part  of  an  old  suit  of  Spanish  armor,  which  was  sup- 
posed to  have  belonged  to  De  Soto's  army. 

On  the  18th,  still  cautiously  ascending,  our  voyagers 
passed  on  their  right  the  Baton  Houge,  the  first  high 
bank  *  they  had  seen  since  entering  the  river.  Here  was 
established  the  northern  limit  of  the  hunting  grounds  of 
the  Bayagoulas.  Some  distance  above  that  they  came  to  a 
point  where  the  river  made  a  long  detour  or  circuit,  and,  to 
save  time,  the  commander  caused  the  trees  to  be  felled,  and 
transported  his  boats  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  peninsula. 
The  Mississippi  afterward  cut  itself  a  chunnol  through  this 
point,  V  hich  has  ever  since  been  known  as  ''Point  CoiqySeJ' 
On  the  20th  the  explorers  irrived  at  a  large  village  of  the 
Oumas,  containing  over  three  hundred  braves,  who  wel- 
comed them  with  nmsic  and  dances,  jind  acquainted  them 
with  the  Indian  ceremony  of  smoking  the  calumet  of  peace. 
At  this  village  they  saw  many  d(jmestic  fowls,  which  were 
mostly  kept  for  ornamental  purposes. 

Here  the  Sieur  d'Iberville,  learning  that  tliere  was  a 
river  or  bayou  to  the  eastward,  which  he  could  reach  by  a 
short  portage,  and  down  which  he  might  descend  through 
Hkes  to  the  sea,  left  the  Mississippi,  with  two  canoes  and 
a  guide,  sending  Bi  Miville  down  the  main  river  with  the 
large  boats,  under  instructions  to  meet  him  at  the  Isle  de 


side.  .  .  .  All  the  nations  havi  8ung  the  calumet  to  nie ;  they  fear 
us  excessively  since  you  defeated  this  village.  I  conclude  by  saying, 
that  it  is  a  great  disapuointment  to  uie  that  we  should  return  without 
the  good  fortune  of  meeting  you,  after  two  i-anoes  have  coasted  toward 
Mexico  for  thirty  leagues,  and  toward  Florida  for  twenty-tive,  etc."  See 
Charlevoix'  New  France,  V.,  p.  123. 

*0n  this  blutr,  twenty-tive  feet  above  high  water,  and  one  Innidred 
and  twenty-nine  miles  by  th(>  river  above  New  Orleans,  the  French  sub- 
sequently established  a  fortlet  and  village  (now  cityi,  which  received 
the  name  of  Baton  Rougr,  or  lied  Post.  This  name,  according  to  I^ 
Page  du  Pratz's  early  History  of  Louisiana,  is  ilerived  from  the  large 
cypress  trees  that  formerly  grew  there,  tiie  wood  of  which  is  red. 


/ 


218 


Settlement  of  Lower  Louisiana. 


Vaisseau.  Proceeding  on  his  return  course,  Bienville 
reached  the  island,  without  accident,  about  the  first  of 
April.  Here  he  was  met  by  Iberville,  who  had  arrived 
before  him,  having  come  down  through  the  bayou  Man- 
shac  or  Iberville,  and  the  two  connecting  lakes  or  arms  of 
the  Gulf,  which  he  severally  named  Maurepaf.  and  Pont- 
chartrain.  , 

On  the  12th  of  April,  M.  d'Iberville  went  to  examine 
a  small  bay,  lying  several  leagues  north  of  Isle  de  Vais- 
seau, to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  St.  Louis.  Pleased 
with  the  situation  and  appearance  of  this  bay,  he  would 
have  removed  his  colony  thither  forthwith,  but  for  the  fact 
that  the  water  at  its  entrance  was  too  sliallow  for  his  ves- 
sels of  heavy  draft.  Finally,  he  decided  to  locate  his  es- 
tablishment on  the  eastern  side  of  the  mouth  of  Biloxi 
Bay,  a  northern  arm  of  Mississippi  Sound.  The  spot  thus 
chosen  was  tolerably  healthy,  yet  sandy  and  unproductive 
in  the  extreme.  Its  sterility,  however,  wa-s  t"  irticularly 
objected  to  by  the  colonists,  who  thought  nothing  about 
agriculture,  but  only  of  trading  with  the  Indians,  and 
scouring  the  country  for  its  supposed  mineral  wealth. 

In  his  official  report,  D'Iberville  thus  describes  the  first 
settlement  ever  made  by  white  men  upon  the  soil  of  what 
is  now  the  State  of  Mississippi : 

"  After  having  visited  several  places  well  adapted  for 
forming  settlements,  our  provisions  falling  sliort,  we 
thought  best  to  commence  operations  at  the  Buy  of  Biloxi, 
four  leagues  north-west  of  the  place  where  the  ships  were 
anchored,  and  which  could  be  approached  at  a  diet  i  !<■  of 
two  leagues.  We  made  choice  of  this  place  mereh  m> 
count  of  the  road,  wliere  the  small  vessels  can  go  and  <  i  ^^ 
at  all  time3,  and  where  we  could  assist,  without  fear,  with 
a  portion  of  the  crew,  in  building  the  foit  which  I  ordered 
to  be  constructed  there ;  whilst,  in  the  meantime,  the  place 
most  convenient  for  the  colony  can  be  selected  at  leisure. 

''This  fort  is  built  of  wood,  with  four  bastions;  two 
are  made  of  hewn  timber  placed  together,  one  .")ot  and  a 
half  thick,  and  nine  feet  high  ;   the  other  two  of  doubl'i 


Iberville  Plants  his  Colony  at  Biloxi  Bay. 


219 


palisades.  It  is  mounted  with  fifty -four  pieces  of  cannon,* 
with  a  plentiful  supply  of  ammunition."  He  left  M.  de 
Sauvolle  in  command;  DeBienville,  as  king's  lieutenant; 
LeVasseur,  major;  DeBordenac,  chaplain;  M.  Care,  sur- 
geon ;  two  captains,  two  cannoniers,  four  sailors,  eighteen 
filibusters,  thirteen  Canadians,  ten  mechanics,  six  masons, 
and  thirty  sub-ofi3.cer8  and  soldiers  (ninety  in  all). 

M.  d'Iberville  named  this  fort  for  Count  Maurepas, 
who  was  then  Secretary  of  Foreign  Afl^airs.  After  causing 
a  gi'oup  of  log  huts  to  be  built  around  the  fort  for  the  use 
of  the  colonists,  and  having  them  to  plant  a  quantity  of 
beans  and  Indian  corn,  he  distributed  provisions  for  four 
or  five  months,  and,  on  the  3d  of  May,  re-embarked  for 
Frmce.  Sailing  through  the  old  Bahama  Channel,  and 
touching  at  St.  Domingo,  he  arrived  in  safety  at  the  port 
of  Tiochefort  on  July  2,  1699.t 

On  the  22d  of  May,  after  the  departure  of  Capt.  d' 
Iberville,  Lieutenant  Bienvilleset  out  with  a  small  party  on 
an  excursion  into  the  interior  of  the  country.  During  the 
course  of  this  trip,  he  was  informed  that  a  band  of  two  hun- 
dred Chickasaws,  headed  by  two  white  men  (supposed  to 
be  Englishman  from  the  colony  in  Carolina),  had  fallen  upon 
and  destroj^ed  a  village  of  the  Colapissas,  situated  on  the 
northern  shore  of  Lake  I'oTitchartrain.  lie,  however,  met 
with  no  enemy.  Returning  to  Fort  Biloxi,  he  again  set  oft, 
on  the  9th  of  June,  with  two  canoes,  to  explore  the  coast 
on  the  east.  Having  passed  the  mouth  of  Pascagoula  River 
and  Mobile  Point,  he  approached  so  near  to  Fort  Pensacola 
that  he  perceived  it  was  still  occupied  by  the  Si)aniards. 

About  the  first  of  July  the  colonists  at  Biloxi  Bay 
were  cheered  by  the  unexi>ected  ari'ival  of  two  Ijark  ca- 
noes, carrying  several  Cainulians  and  two  Jesuit  priests, 
Father  Anthony  Davion  and  Father  Montigny.     They  came 


*Thi8  is  manifestly  an  terror  or  misprint.  Tlio  real  number  of  oan- 
non  mounted  upon  tlie  fort,  as  stated  by  Ikncroft,  Gayarr6  and  otber 
liistorians,  was  twelve. 

tSec  M.  d' Iberville's  brief  oiru-ial  nain.tive  of  this  expedition, 
l)riiited  in  "  Historical  CollecMons  of  Louisiana  and  Florida,"  edited  by 
B.  F.  Freneh.     (New  Series,  N.  Y.,  1860),  pp.  30-;{2. 


220 


Settlement  of  Lower  Louisiana. 


by  way  of  the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi,  and  having 
learned  from  the  Oumas  that  the  French  were  establishing 
a  colony  near  the  Gulf,  had  come  down  to  see  them.  After 
a  pleasant  visit  here  of  ten  days,  the  two  priests  departed 
to  begin  a  mission  among  the  Tonicas  on  the  Mississippi, 
near  the  Yazoo.     -:•:■■'.■-■  -'■■■':■'-'■■''■ '-r.^^:.- "■■■::-:'■  :''."■ 

In  September  of  the  same  year  (1699),  while  Lieuten- 
ant Bienville  was  descending  the  Lower  Mississippi,  and 
when  at  a  point  some  twent3''-eight  leagues  from  the  sea, 
he  discovered  in  the  river  an  English  ship  of  sixteen  guns, 
commanded  by  one  Captain  Barr,  who  had  left  a  consort 
in  waiting  at  the  mouth.  The  English  captain  was  not 
certain  that  he  was  actually  upon  the  Mississippi,  and  Bien- 
ville gladly  availed  himselfof  the  opportunity  to  assure  him 
that  it  was  not  the  Mississippi ;  that  the  river  he  sought  ran 
much  farther  to  the  west,  and  that  the  stream  on  which  he 
was  sailing  was  within  the  limits  of  a  country  that  had 
been  taken  possession  of  in  the  name  of  his  majesty,  the 
King  of  France.  By  this  deception  the  wily  Frenchma!i 
induced  the  English  mariner  to  face  about  and  return  to 
the  sea ;  and  from  this  circumstance  the  place  has  ever 
since  bo'.ie  the  name  of  Detour  des  Anglais,  or  "  English 
Turn." 

It  is  related  as  a  fact,  that  on  board  Captain  Barr's  ship 
was  a  Protestant  Frenchman,  who  secretly  handed  to  Bien- 
ville a  letter  addressed  to  the  King  of  France,  in  which  his 
majesty  was  assured  that  if  he  would  accord  liberty  of  con- 
science to  a  Protestant  colony  in  Louisiana,  more  than  four 
hundred  Huguenot  families,  already  inured  to  exile  and 
hardships,  would  immigrate  hither  from  the  Carolinas. 
The  letter  was  afterward  transmitted  to  Count  Pontchar- 
train,  the  French  Minister  of  Colonies,  who,  with  the 
harshness  and  bigotry  of  that  age,  returned  for  answer, 
that  bis  "  Christian  majesty  bad  not  expelled  heretics  from 
his  kingdom  in  order  to  establish  them  in  America." 

On  the  0th  of  January,  1700,  M.  d'Iberville  re-appeared 
in  the  waters  of  the  Gulf  off  Fort  Biloxi,  with  two  large 
ships  of  war — the  lienomme  rating  fifty  guns,  and  the 
Gironde  forty-six — bringing  with  him  sixty  Canadian  im- 


Iberville  Raises  a  Fort  on  the  Mississippi. 


•221 


migrants,  and  a  fresh  supply  of  provisions  and  stores  for 
the  needy  colonists.  He  also  brought  royal  commissions, 
appointing  Sauvolle  governor,  or  commandant  of  the  col- 
ony ;  Bienville  lieutenant,  and  Boidbriant  major.  By  the 
same  vessels  arrived  Pierre  le  Sueur  and  thirty  miners, 
who  had  been  sent  by  M.  de  Iluillier,  of  Quebec,  to  open 
and  work  a  copper  mine  which  had  been  discovered  on 
the  St.  Peter's  (now  Minnesota)  River,  one  of  the  afflu- 
ents of  the  Upper  Mississippi.  Le  Sueur,  moreover,  had 
instructions  from  the  governor  of  Canada  to  erect  a  fort  on 
the  St.  Peter's,  to  hold  in  awe  the  Sioux  or  Dakotas.  He 
departed  in  April  on  his  mission  to  the  far  north.* 

When  the  vigilant  D'Iberville  was  informed  by  his 
brother  Bienville  that  two  English  ships  had  appeared  in 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  he  determined  to  forthwith 
construct  a  fort  on  that  river,  so  as  to  anticipate  any  future 
attempt  of  the  English  to  gain  a  foot-hold  on  its  shores. 
Having  dispatched  Bienville  through  tbe  lakes  and  bayous 
to  the  Bayagoulas,  to  procure  guides  to  some  suitable  spot 
on  the  lower  part  of  the  river,  the  comnumder  himself  left 
Isle  de  Vaisseau,  or  Ship  Island,  on  the  15th  of  January, 
taking  with  him  sixty  men,  two  shallops,  and  two 
smaller  vessels  loaded  with  the  necessary  provisions,  imple- 
ments, etc.  After  enteriiMjj  and  ascending  the  Mississippi 
about  eighteen  leagues,  he  was  met  by  Bienville,  an.d  they 
selected  a  position  secure  from  inundation,  and  there  begun 
the  construction  of  a  log  and  earth  fort,  which  received  the 
name  of  Iberville. 

Toward  the  middlb  of  February,  while  still  engaged 
upon  the  fort,  M.  d'Iberville  was  joined  by  the  veteran  Do 
Tonty,  who  arrived  with  a  party  of  twenty  Canadians  from 
the  Illinois,  and  who  is  said  to  have  come  in  response  to  an 
invitation  that  had  been  sent  him  from  Sauvolle.  Tonty 
was  now  past  his  prime,  yet  his  long  and  varied  experience 

*"  Stoddard,  in  his  SketchcH  of  Louisiana,  on  the  authority  of  a  MS. 
narrative  of  La  Ilarpc,  says  tliat  Lo  .Sueur  ascended  the  St.  Peter's  River 
to  the  mouth  of  Bhie  iMirth  lliver,  where  he  erected  a  fort  called 
^'Iluillier,  which  was  abandoned  the  next  year  on  account, of  the  hos- 
tility of  the  Sioux."— Monette's  Val.  of  the  IVIisH.,  L,  p.  200, 


■■■ 


222 


Settlement  of  Loiver  Louisiana. 


with  La  Salle,  and  his  intimate  knowledge  of  the  principal 
Indian  nations  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  rendered  him  a 
valuable  acquisition  to  the  southern  colony.  Availing  him- 
self of  Tonty's  presence  and  assistance,  D'Iberville  decided 
to  ascend  the  river  as  far  as  the  Natchez,  and  establish  ami- 
cable relations  with  the  natives  on  the  way.  Hastily  or- 
ganizing an  expedition  for  this  purpose,  he  set  out  with 
Bienville  and  Tonty,  proceeding  in  boats  and  canoes. 
They  lirst  stopped  at  the  Bayagoulas,  where  they  remained 
till  the  first  week  in  March,  when  they  proceeded  to  the  Ou- 
mas.*  Continuing  their  upward  voyage,  they  next  reached 
the  Natchez,  whose  villages  lay  about  three  hundred  and 
8'3venty-five  miles  from  the  Gulf,  by  the  windings  of  the 
river. 

When  the  great  Sun-chief  heard  of  the  approach  of 
the  French,  he  came  forth  from  his  village  to  meet  them, 
borne  upon  a  litter,  and  attended  by  a  large  and  picturesque 
procession  of  his  people.  This  nation,  formerly  very  nu- 
merous and  powerful,  was  now  reduced  to  about  twelve 
hundred  warriors.  The  missionary  St.  Cosme,  already  re- 
ferred to,  had  arrived  the  year  before,  and  taken  up  his 
residence  among  them.  The  better  class  of  these  Indians 
appeared  to  D'Iberville  much  more  civilized  than  any 
others  he  had  met  with  in  the  country.  During  his  brief 
sta}^  here,  one  of  their  temples  was  struck  and  set  on  tire 
by  lightning.  The  keepers  of  the  temple  thereupon  solic- 
ited the  squaws  to  throw  their  infants  into  the  fire,  in 
order  to  appease  the  anger  of  the  divinity  ;  and  a  numljer  of 
children  were  thus  sacrificed  before  the  Frenchmen  could 
prevail  upon  them  to  desist.f  Delighted  with  the  l)eauty 
of  the  Natchez  country,  and  especially  with  the  high,  bold 
bluff,  which  commands  an  extensive  prospect  up  and  down 
tlie  river,  D'Iberville  selected  it  for  the  future  capital  of 
Louisiana,  and  suggested  the  name  of  Rosalie,  which  wae 
given  to  the  fort  afterward  built  here  by  the  French. 

On  the  22d  of  March,  Bienville  and  St.  Denis,  attended 
by  twenty  Oanadians  and  a  number  of  Indians,  set  ofi' 


*  The  village  of  the  Oiunas,  or  Hounias,  was  situated  two  and  one- 
half  leaguoH  east  of  the  river. 

♦Martin's  History  of  Louisiana,  vol.  I.,  p.  152. 


Bienville's  Excursion  to  Eecf  River. 


223 


from  the  N'atchez  on  a  tour  of  exploration  to  the  westwanl, 
which  extended  to  Red  Riv^^r,  and  occupied  them  nearly 
two  months.  At  the  same  time,  D'Iberville,  accompanied, 
perhaps,  by  De  Tonty,*  returned  to  his  fort  above  the 
outlet  of  the  Mississippi,  and  thence  to  the  anchorage  of 
his  ships  at  Isle  de  Vaisseau.  Upon  his  arrival,  he  was 
surprised  to  learn  that  the  Spanish  governor  of  Pensacola 
had  been  there  with  a  twenty-four  gun  ship,  manned  by  one 
hundred  and  forty  marines,  and  some  armed  shallops,  in- 
tending tu  drive  the  French  from  the  coast.  But  finding 
his  force  insufficient  for  this  purpose,  he  had  left  a  written 
protest  against  the  French  occupation  of  the  country, 
claiming  tliat  it  was  within  the  limits  of  his  Catholic 
majesty's  dominions  in  Mexico.  The  French,  however 
had  come  to  stay,  and  paid  little  heed  to  the  protest  of 
Spain,  whose  power  and  prestige  as  a  nation  were  on  the 
decline.  Having  put  his  colony  in  as  good  a  state  of  de- 
fense as  possible,  and  given  Bienville  command  of  the  fort 
on  the  Mississippi,  M.  d'Iberville  sailed  for  France  on  the 
28th  of  May,  1701. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  and  before  the  sailing  of 
D'Iberville,  Bienville  returned  from  his  western  exi>edition. 
He  had  ascended  the  Ouachita  (Washita)  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, thence  traversed  the  country  westward  to  Red  River, 
and  returned  down  the  latter  stream  and  the  Mississippi, 
having  passed  through  a  fertile  region  and  visited  several 
Indian  tribes,  particularly  the  Yatasses  and  NaLchitoches. 
The  main  object  of  this  expedition  was  to  search  for  mines 
of  the  precious  metals,  and  another  was  to  ascertain  the 
pro])able  distance  to  the  nearest  Spanish  establishments  on 
the  west.  On  the  22d  of  July  in  that  year  (1701),  M.  de 
Sauvolle  died,  an  early  victim  to  bilious  fever,  leaving  the 
sole  direction  of  attairs  in  the  colony  to  Lieutenant  Bien- 
ville. 

On   the   18th  of  the  ensuing   December,  D'Iberville 


*  As  Tonty  still  retainod  some  interest  in  Fort  St.  Louis  of  Illinois, 
it  is  not  improbable  that  he  -eturned  there  on  business  during  that 
year  (1700),  though  we  find  no  reliable  record  of  such  a  journey. 


224 


Settlement  of  Lower  Louisiana. 


again  appeared  in  these  southern  waters  with  a  French 
armament,  consisting  of  the  Renomme,  a  fifty  gun  ship, 
the  Palmier,  of  forty-four  guns,  and  a  large  brigantine. 
His  arrival  was  very  opportune  for  the  starving  colonists, 
whose  number  had  been  diminished  by  disease  and  casualties 
to  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  and  who  had  been 
driven  to  such  straits  as  to  have  subsisted  for  some  time 
wholly  upon  maize.  Considering  the  unfavorable  condi- 
tion and  prospects  of  the  colony,  the  commander  now  or- 
dered the  removal  of  the  principal  establishment  from 
Biloxi  to  the  Mobile. 

Accordingly,  in  the  first  week  of  January,  1702,  Bien- 
ville set  out  to  execute  the  orders  of  liis  chief,  leaving  only 
t\\»enty  men  as  a  garrison  at  Biloxi.  The  site  of  the  new 
establishment  was  fixed  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mobile 
River,  about  eighteen  leagues  fioni  the  sea.  Here  a  dejiut 
was  formed  and  a  fort  soon  built,  which  received  .the  name 
of  Fort  Loais  de  la  Mobile.  By  the  20th  of  March,  the 
colonists  had  become  settled  in  their  new  quarters,  to  which 
were  transported  such  of  their  munitions  and  stores  as  had 
been  kept  on  Dauphin  Island.  This  removal  brought  the 
French  into  somewhat  closer  relations  with  the  Choctaws, 
who  iidiabited  the  country  to  the  nortii  of  Mobile  Bay,  and 
who  were  then  at  war  with  the  Chickasaws.  But  M. 
d'Iberville,  before  his  departure  for  France,  was  enabled  to 
effect  a  truce  between  those  puissant  tribes. 

On  the  24th  of  June  (1702),  a  Spanish  shallop  arrived 
from  Pensacola,  bringing  a  letter  from  Don  Francisco 
Martin,  governor  of  that  post,  stating  that  his  garrison  was 
in  a  state  of  famine,  and  requesting  a  supply  of  provisions, 
which  was  sent  to  him  by  Bienville.  Again,  on  the  11th 
of  November,  Don  Martin  himself  arrived  at  Fort  Louis 
from  Pensacola,  with  the  intelligence  that  France  and 
Spain  were  at  war  with  England.  He  asked  for  provisions 
and  munitions,  and  in  view  of  the  alliance  of  the  two 
former  powers,  his  request  was  granted.  In  the  meantime, 
on  the  first  of  October,  Father  Davion  visited  the  fort, 
with  two  Canadians  from  the  Yazoo  River.  They  M'^ere 
accompanied  by  Father  Limoges,  who  was  stationed  among 


The  Colony  Meinforced.  -' 


226 


the  Natchez,  and  wlio  informed  Bienville  that  the  Coroas 
Indians  had  killed  his  missionary  colleague,  Foucault,  and 
three  other  Frenchmen. 

On  the  28th  of  November  two  Spanish  officers  arrived 
at  the  French  head-quarters  from  St.  Augustine,  Florida, 
with  a  letter  from  the  governor  of  that  town,  stating  that 
he  was  besieged  by  an  English  force  from  Charleston,  with 
a  fleet  of  seventeen  vessels,  and  some  two  thousand  sav- 
ages. In  response  to  the  appeal  of  the  Spaniards  for  aid, 
M.  de  Bienville  gave  them  a  liberal  supply  of  munitions  of 
war,  and  also  dispatched  a  force  of  one  hundred  men  to 
their  assistance.  It  thus  appears  that,  notwithstanding 
the  jealousies  of  the  rival  colonies,  situated  so  near  each 
other,  with  conflicting  territorial  claims,  the  French  gen- 
erously assisted  their  neighbors  on  dift'erent  occasions  with 
both  provisions  and  ammunition.  At  this  period  the 
Spaniards  found  great  difliculty  in  maintaining  their  es- 
tablishments in  Florida.  This  was  principally  due  to 
the  inveterate  animosity  of  the  Indians  of  the  country, 
who  were  encouraged  in  tlieir  hostilities,  and  sometimes 
nuitorially  aided,  by  the  English  colonists  of  South  Car- 
olina. 

In  the  summer  of  1703,  M.  d'Iber'>'ille  sent  his  brother, 
Anthony  le  Moyne  de  Chateaugue,  to  .ouisiana,  with  sev- 
enteen Canadian  colonists,  who  carried  with  them  imple- 
ments of  husbandry,  etc.  About  the  Ist  of  May,  1704,  the 
Pelican,  a  fifty-gun  ship,  arrived  from  France  at  Dauphin 
Island,  loaded  with  provisions  and  military  stores  for  the 
colony.  She  brought  out  two  companies  of  troops  to  re- 
inforce the  garrisons,  four  priests,  two  nuns,  and  twenty 
poor  young  women,  who  were  shortly  afterward  married 
to  the  bachelor  colonists.  This  was  the  first  shipment  of 
unmarried  women  lo  Louisiana,  and  was  followed  by  others 
at  intervals.  '         '        . 

During  the  autumn  of  that  year  there  was  much  sick- 
ness and  mortality  in  the  French  colony,  aiid  the  horrors 
of  famine  were  averted  only  by  relief  received  from  the 
Spanish  governor  of  Pensacola.     On  the  27th  of  October, 
15 


226 


Settlement  of  Lowi  •  Louisiana, 


intelligence  was  received  that  the  Spanish  fort  of  Pen- 
sacola  had  been  destroyed  by  fire,  together  with  a  large 
quantity  of  provisions,  clothing,  and  stores;  and  at  the 
same  time  a  request  came  that  the  French  would  send 
them  a  schooner  to  carry  the  tidings  of  their  disaster 
to  Vera  Cruz.  On  the  11th  of  December  news  came  that 
the  English  were  fitting  out  an  armament  at  Charleston, 
to  operate  against  the  French  establishments  at  Biloxi  a>id 
on  the  Mobile,  but  this  fortunately  proved  to  be  incorrect. 
In  January,  1705,  a  trader  named  De  Lambert  arrived  at 
the  Mobile  from  a  small  French  post  on  the  Wabash  (prob- 
ably the  Lower  Ohio),  which  he  had  abandoned  in  conse- 
quence of  the  hostile  disposition  of  the  savages  in  that  in- 
terior region.  During  this  year  war  again  broke  out  be- 
tween the  Choctaws  and  Chickasaws,  which  was  character- 
ized by  more  than  the  usual  Indian  barbarities.  A  tempo- 
rary peace,  however,  was  at  length  eftected  through  the 
active  mediation  of  the  French  under  Bienville,  though  at 
considerable  personal  risk  to  the  latter. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1706,  Pierre  le  Moyne,  Sieur 
d'Iberville,  died  at  sea,  near  St.  Domingo,  aged  forty- 
five  years.  He  had  been  previously  attacked  with  yel- 
low fever,  and  barely  escaped  with  his  life.  Unable  to 
sustain  the  enervating  influence  of  a  tropical  climate,  he 
had  retired  to  France  to  recuperate  his  broken  health. 
After  a  year  or  more  he  again  sailed  to  the  West  Indies, 
and  was  there  stricken  by  a  severe  disease  which  termin- 
ated his  earthly  existence.*  He  thus  fell  a  lamented  victim 
to  his  sense  of  official  duty,  and  of  devotion  to  the  service 
of  his  king  and  country.  We  have  already  passed  in  re- 
view the  chief  incidents  in  his  active  and  fortunate  career, 
and  need  only  add  here  a  brief  estimate  of  his  character. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  determination  of  pur- 
pose, and,  as  a  naval  commander,  was  quick  and  judicious 
to  decide,  and  prompt  and  bold  in  the  execution  of  his 
plans.  Less  learned,  brilliant,  and  fanciful  than  La  Salle, 
he  was  better  balanced,  more  practical,  and  therefore  more 


*  Monette's  "  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,"  Vol,  I,  p.  207. 


Misfortunes  of  the  Louisiana  Colony. 


227 


Buccessful  as  a  colonizer.  The  idol  of  his  Canadian  coun- 
trymen, he  was  justly  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  cap- 
tains in  the  French  navy.  His  premature  decease  cast  a 
gloom  over  the  infant  colony  of  Louisiana,  of  which  he 
had  been  both  the  persevering  founder  and  constant  bene- 
factor. His  name  is  fitly  perpetuated  in  one  of  the  rivers, 
as  well  as  in  a  parish,  of  the  Pelican  State  of  Louisiana. 

After  the  death  of  D'Iberville,  contention  and  trouble 
arose  in  the  colony.  Bienville  was  charged  with  sundry 
acts  of  misconduct  and  mismanagement,  and  was  dis- 
missed from  office,  but  his  successor  dying  on  the  way 
from  France,  he  still  retained  the  command.  In  January, 
1707,  intelligence  was  brought  to  the  fort  on  the  Mobile 
that  St.  Cosme,  the  Jesuit  missionary  among  the  Natchez, 
and  three  other  Frenchmen,  had  been  slain  by  the  Cheti- 
machas,  as  they  were  descending  the  river  to  the  sea.* 
Presents  were  thereupon  sent  by  the  French  to  the  surround- 
ing nations,  to  induce  them  to  wage  war  upon  that  treach- 
erous tribe. 

In  September,  1710,  an  English  corsair,  with  an  armed 
party,  made  a  descent  upon  Dauphin  Island,  and  pillaged 
it  of  property  said  to  have  been  worth  sixty  thousand 
livres.  During  the  years  1709  and  1710,  the  Louisiana 
colonists  suifered  severely  from  sickness  and  famine  ;  and 
in  March,  1709,  there  was  a  great  flood  in  the  Mobile  and 
other  rivers,  which  inundated  the  houses  of  Fort  Louis. 
For  this  reason  the  French  abandoned  the  fort,  and  built 
another  at  or  near  the  mouth  of  Mobile  River,  where  the 
city  now  stands. 

Such,  in  imperfect  outline,  are  the  principal  occurrences 
ill  the  history  of  the  colony  of  Lower  Louisiana  during  the 
first  twelve  years  of  it  precarious  existence.  In  the  French 
colonial  annals  of  the  period,  nothing  is  more  astonishing 
than  the  number  of  canoe  and  boat  voyages  made  by  them 
to  every  part  of  the  wilderness  Valley  of  the  Mississippi. 
The  comparative  ease  and  safety  with  which  these  long 
and  difficult  journeys  were  performed  indicated  great  tact 

*See  note  in  the  preceding  chapter,  page  201. 


228 


Settlement  of  Lower  Low'       a. 


m 


and  facility  on  the  part  of  the  French  in  adapting  them- 
selves to  the  primitive  modes  of  life  and  locomotion  of  tlie 
aborigines,  and  in  gaining  and  retaining  their  good  will. 
What  has  been  remarked  by  the  brilliant  historian,  Pres- 
cott,  of  the  Spanish  conquerors  of  Mexico,  may  apply  with 
equal  pertinence  to  the  French  explorers  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley : 

"  The  mere  excitement  of  exploring  the  strange  and 
the  unknown  was  a  sufficient  compensation  to  the  Spaiiirtli 
adventurer  for  all  his  toils  and  trials.  It  seems  to  have  been 
ordered  by  Providence  that  such  a  race  of  men  should  exist 
contemporaneously  with  the  discovery  of  the  New  World, 
that  those  regions  should  be  brought  to  light  which  were 
beset  with  dangers  and  difficulties  so  appalling  as  might 
have  tended  to  overawe  and  discourage  the  ordinary  8i)irit 
of  adventure."  * 

Recurring  once  more  to  Henri  de  Tonty,  it  may  now 
be  proper  to  relate  what  little  is  known  in  regard  to  his 
last  years,  and  to  sum  up  his  character  and  career.  In  1702 
he  was  sent  by  Captain  f^^berville  on  a  mission  to  secure 
the  Chickasaws  in  the  J  h  interest.     The  route  taken 

by  him  from  Mobile  is  laid  down  on  some  of  the  old  French 
maps,  but  of  the  incidents  of  his  trip,  or  the  measure  of  suc- 
cess that  attended  it,  we  have  no  knowledge.  After  this  we 
find  no  further  special  mention  of  his  name,  save  that  he  died 
in  September,  1704,  at  Fort  Louis  on  the  Mobile.f  That 
was  a  sickly  season  with  the  colony,  and  marked  by  more 
than  the  ordinary  mortality ;  and  it  seems  probable  that 
no  kind  friend  or  priest  was  with  our  hero  to  chronicle  the 
particulars  of  his  last  hours,  or  if  so  the  record  thereof  has 
perished.  At  the  time  of  his  singularly  quiet  exit  from  the 
scenes  of  busy  life,  Tonty  must  have  been  aged  about  titty- 
four.  Though  not  an  old  man  in  point  of  years,  he  was  old 
in  experience  and  knowledge  of  the  world,  and  especially 

■■'■  I'rescott's  "  History  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,"  vol.  3,  book  vlL, 
chap.  iii. 

1>'ee  Charlevoix'  History  of  New  France,  vol.  Ill,  p.  201,  note  by  the 
editor. 


Conclusion  of  Tonty's  Eoentful  History. 


229 


in  the  number  and  variety  of  exciting  adventures  through 
which  he  had  passed,  as  well  in  Europe  as  in  America. 

He  could  hardly  be  classed  as  a  great  captain  or  leader, 
though  he  was  not  incapable  of  devising  and  executing 
the  boldest  enterprises.  As  a  first  lieutenant,  he  rendered 
invaluable  services  to  La  Salle,  and  next  to  his  chief,  con- 
tributed most  toward  the  exploration  of  the  Mi8sissij>pi 
V^alley.  His  courage  and  address  were  strikingly  exhil)ited 
in  his  intercourse  with  the  Indians,  both  in  war  and  in 
peace;  but  his  acts  were  mostly  performed  where  there 
were  few  to  observe,  and  fewer  still  to  record  them.  He 
was  "honest,  sincere,  generous,  faithful,  and  brave" — the 
beau  ideal  of  a  true  soldier.  These  admirable  qualities  en- 
deared him  to  all  his  compatriots  in  life,  and  have  made 
him  a  prime  favorite  with  all  of  La  Salle's  biographers. 

"  Very  few  names  in  French- American  history,"  writes 
Parkman,  "  are  mentioned  with  such  unanimity  of  praise 
as  that  of  Henri  de  Tonty.  Hennepin  finds  some  fault 
with  him;  but  his  censure  is  commendation.*  The  dis- 
patches of  lie  governor,  Denonville,  speak  in  strong  terms 
of  his  services  in  the  Iroquois  war,  praise  his  character, 
and  declare  that  he  is  fit  for  any  bold  enterprise,  adding 
that  he  deserves  reward  from  the  king.  The  missionary 
St.  Cosme,  who  traveled  under  his  escort  in  1699,  says  of 
him :  '  He  is  beloved  by  all  the  voyageurs.  It  was  with 
deep  regret  that  we  parted  from  him ;  he  is  the  man  who 
best  knows  the  country;  he  is  loved  and  feared  every- 
where.'" Parkman  himself  adds:  "He  seems  never  to 
have  received  the  reward  his  great  merit  deserved."  f  La 
Salle,  however,  had  done  what  he  could  for  Tonty,  and,  as 
already  noticed,  made  him  a  grant  of  lands  on  the  Ar- 
kansas River. 

He  had  a  younger  brother  named  Alphonse  de  Tont;y, 
a  captain  in  the  French  service,  who  long  held  command 
at  the  post  of  Detroit,  and  against  whom  charges  of  pecu- 


*  When  the  "  Griffin  "  was  building  at  Niagara,  Hennepin  says  that 
Tonty  took  some  offense  at  his  Iceeping  a  journal,  and  tried  to  seize  it. 
t  "  Discovery  of  the  Great  West,"  note,  p.  441.  • 


230 


Settlement  of  Lower  Louisiina. 


liiBBEIBBBiMMii 


lation  were  preferred ;  but  no  stain  tarnishes  the  fair  es- 
cutcheon of  the  little,  copper-handed  Henri  Around  his 
name  more  than  that  of  any  other  of  the  French  explorers, 
is  wreathed  a  halo  of  chivalry  and  romance,  and  only  a 
few  years  since,  he  was  made  the  hero  in  a  popular  histori- 
cal liction,  entitled  "The  Story  of  Tonty."  He  is  soine- 
tinies  referred  to  as  the  Chevalier  de  Tonty,  but,  though  a 
true  knight,  it  does  not  appear  that  he  ever  received  the 
honor  of  knighthood.  He  did  not  share  La  Salle's  antip- 
athy to  the  Jesuits,  but  rather  courted  their  favor,  and  in 
return  for  his  coimiderate  attentions,  they  heralded  \m 
praises  and  helped  to  embalm  his  meniory. 

As  early  as  1()97,  s.  book,  purporting  to  be  a  Memoir 
of  the  Sieur  de  Tonty,  was  published  in  France  under  this 
title  :  ''Dern lores  Deeouverfes  (fans  L'Amerique  Septentriovoh\ 
de.  M.  de  la  Salle,  par  Cheralier  de  Tonfi,  Goiiverneur  xiu  Fort 
St.  Louis  aux  Illhiois.  Paris,  1697. "'*  Copies  of  the  same 
having  found  their  way  to  New  France,  Tonty  disavowed 
to  M.  d'Iberville  and  Father  Marest  all  responsibility  tor 
the  work,  whidi  he  characterized  as  full  of  errors  and  ex- 
aggerations. But  then  he  had  written  a  memoir,  and  sent 
it  to  J^aris  in  1693,  which  formed  the  basis  of  the  above 
spurious  publication. 

The  real  or  admitted  memoirs  of  ITenri  de  Tonty  are 
embraced  in  the  valuable  collection  of  I'ierre  Mai'gry,  di- 
rector of  the  Archives  of  the  Marine  and  Colonies  at  Paris, 
under  this  general  title:  '■'■  Decoiivertes  et  tliablissements  dcs 
Francais  dans  L' Quest  et  Sud  de  L'Amerique  Septenfrionalc 
{\Q14-n^4:),31emoirset  Documents  oriqinaux''' — Paris,  France, 
1877-78.  Volume  I  of  tliis  publication  contains  "  Voyages 
et  Uat  des  Francais  sar  les  lacs  et  le  Mississippi,  sous  les  ordrfs 
de  M.  de  la  Salle  et  de  Tonty,  du  1678  d  1684."  Volume  II 
contains  "Lettres  of  Henri  de  Tonty  sur  ce  qu'  d  a  appris  de 
M.  de  la  Salle,  Ic  voyaye  qn'  il  a  fad  pour  V  aller  chercher,  et  son 
depart  prochein  pour  marcher  contre  les  Iroquois,  1686-l()Hl)." 


♦  An  EngliHh  tmnslution  of  this  mejiioir,  or  relation,  was  priiiti'il  in 
London  in  KiDH,  ontitlod  an  "Aooount  of  M.  do  la  Sallo'H  Last  KxjM'iii- 
tion  and  DiecoverioB  iu  Nortli  America,"  whieh  wxa  republished  in  Ni'W 
York  in  1814. 


Petition  of  M.  dc  Tonty. 


231 


'  os- 
his 
rers, 
ily  a 
itori- 
07ue- 
igh  a 
r  the 
mtip- 
lul  in 
d    iiirt 

cmoir 
ix  this 
•iovole, 
u  Fort 
e  same 
Lvowed 
lity  for 

l  8cnt 
above 


u 


uly  are 

;ry,  (li- 

I'arifl, 

'))ts  <ifs 

Itrioyialf 

^'ranoe, 

Is  ordrcs 
iiiue  II 

D^jrw  de 

jr,  f«  son 

[rintcil  in 
ll  in  Now 


Besides  the  above,  Tonty  wrote  and  addressed  to  Count 
de  Pontchartrain  a  8lu>rt  memoir  of  liiniself  (before  noticed), 
which  is  also  printed  in  Margry's  collection,  as  well  as  else- 
where. It  is  witliout  date,  but  is  supposed  to  have  been 
written  in  the  year  1690  or  1691.  Following  is  an  En- 
glish version  of  this  curious  and  interesting  autobiographi- 
cal paper: 

Petition  of  the  Chevalier  df    Tuiiti/  to  Count  de  Pontchartrain,  Minister  of 

Marine. 

Monseigncur — Henri  do  Totity  liuinhly  ivprost'iits  to  your  highness, 
that  he  entered  the  niilitiiry  service  as  a  cadet,  and  was  employed  in 
tiiat  capacity  in  tlie  years  IWiS  and  !()()!>,  and  that  he  afterward  served 
as  niidsliipnian  four  years  at  Marseilles  atid  Toulon,  and  made  seven 
campaigns,  that  is,  four  on  l)oard  ships  of  war,  and  three  in  galleys. 
While  at  Messina  he  was  made  captain,  and  in  the  interval  lieutenant, 
of  the  first  company  of  a  regiment  of  horse.  When  the  enemy  at- 
tacked the  post  of  LibisHO,  his  right  hand  was  shot  away  by  a  grenade, 
and  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  conducted  to  Metasse,  where  he  was  de- 
tained sijc  months,  and  then  exchanged  for  the  son  of  the  governor  of 
that  place.  He  then  went  to  France  to  obtain  some  favor  of  his  majesty, 
and  the  king  granted  him  three  hundred  livres.  He  returned  to  the 
service  in  Micily,  made  the  campaign  as  a  volunteer  in  the  galleys,  and 
when  the  troops  were  discharged,  being  unable  to  oV)tain  the  employ- 
ment he  solicited  at  court  on  account  of  the  general  peace,  he  decided, 
in  1()78,  to  join  the  late  Monsieur  de  la  Salle,  in  order  to  accompany 
him  in  the  discoveries  of  Mexico,  during  which,  until  1082,  he  was  the 
only  officer  who  did  not  desert  him. 

These  discoveries  being  finished,  he  remaine(i,  in  1«)8;^,  commandant 
of  Fort  St.  Louis  of  the  Illinois;  and  in  1(584  he  was  there  attacked  by 
two  Imndred  Iroquois,  whom  he  repulsed  with  great  loss  on  their  side. 
I>\iring  the  same  year,  he  repaired  to  Quebec,  under  the  orders  of  M.  de 
la  Barre.  In  KiHf),  he  returned  to  the  Illinois,  according  to  the  orders 
which  he  had  received  from  the  court,  and  from  M.  de  la  Salle,  as  a 
captain  of  foot  in  a  marine  detachment  and  governor  of  Fort  St.  Louis. 
In  1(58(),  he  went  with  forty  men  in  canoes,  at  his  own  expense,  an  far  aa 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  to  seek  for  M.  de  la  Salle.  Not  being  able  to  find 
liim  there,  he  returned  to  Montreal,  and  put  himself  undiu-  the  orders 
of  Monsieur  Denonville,*  to  engage  in  the  war  with  the  Iroquois. 

At  the  head  of  a  band  of  Indians,  in  1087,  he  proceeded  two  hun- 
ilrcd  leagues  by  land,  and  as  far  in  canoes,  and  joined  the  army,  when, 
with  these  Indians  and  a  company  of  Canadians,  he  forced  the  ambus- 
cade of  the  Tsonnonthouaus.t    The  campaign  being  over,  he  returned 


*  Jiinquei  RAiio  de  Brisay  Doiionvlllu  supcmudud  L.i  Ilarru,  lii  US8.5,  an  Koveruor 
of  Canada,  and  served  about  fi'ur  yoarn. 
+  Or  9enoca», 


232 


Petition  of  M.  de  Tonty. 


to  the  Illinois,  whence  he  departed,  in  1689,  to  go  in  search  of  the  re- 
mains of  M.  de  la  Salle's  colony ;  but  being  deserted  by  his  men,  and 
unable  to  execute  his  design,  he  was  compelled  to  reliuquish  it  when  he 
had  a  ived  within  seven  days'  march  of  the  Spaniards.  Ten  months 
were  pent  in  going  and  returning.  As  he  now  finds  himself  without 
employment,  he  prays  that,  in  consideration  of  his  voyages  and  heavy 
expenses,  and  considering,  also,  that  during  his  service  of  seven  years 
as  captain,  he  has  not  received  any  pay,  your  highness  will  be  pleased 
to  obtain  for  him  from  his  majesty  a  company,  with  which  he  may  con- 
tinue his  services  in  this  country,  where  he  has  not  ceased  to  harass  the 
Iroquois  by  enlisting  the  Illinois  against  them  in  his  majesty's  cause. 
And  he  will  continue  his  prayers  for  the  health  of  your  highness. 

Henri  dk  Tonty. 


)!|i 
;!il 


Nothing  can  be  more  true  than  the  account  given  by  the  Sieur  de 
Tonty  in  this  petition ;  and  should  his  majesty  reinstate  the  seven  com- 
panies which  have  been  disbanded  in  this  country,  there  will  be  justice 
in  granting  one  of  them  to  him,  or  some  other  recompense  for  the  serv- 
ices which  he  has  rend ^> rod,  and  which  he  is  now  returning  to  render  at 
Fort  St.  Louis  of  the  Illinois.  Frontenac. 


Change  of  Officers  in  Louisiana. 


233 


CHAPTKR  XII. 


1712-1717. 


LOUISIANA    UNDER   M.    CROZAT — DEMISE    OF   LOUIS    XIV. 


Hitherto  the  small,  isolated  French  settlements  in  the 
Illinois,  and  those  founded  by  D'lberville  and  Bienville  on 
the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  had  been  separate  and 
unorganized  dependencies  of  Canada,  or  New  France.  But 
they  were  now  soon  to  be  united  in  one  large  province, 
under  the  designation  of  Louisiana,  with  a  government  de- 
pendent upon  and  subordinate  to  that  of  New  France. 
This  immense  wilderness  territory  extended  from  Lake 
Michigan  and  the  Wisconsin  river  on  the  north  to  the 
Mexican  Gulf  at  the  south,  and  from  the  Ohio  Valley  on 
the  east  to  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  New 
Mexico  in  the  west.  It  was  already  known  to  possess  a 
temperate  and  salubrious  climate,  a  rich  and  very  produc- 
tive soil,  and  to  abound  in  fur-bearing  aninnds;  and  it  was 
also  believed  to  con   lin  metallic  ores  of  untold  value. 

In  1711  the  government  of  Louisiana  was  committed 
by  the  French  king  to  a  governor,  or  commandant-general, 
with  other  subordinate  otHcers.  The  chief  head-quarters  of 
this  colonial  government  was  established,  as  before,  on  the 
Mobile,  and  a  new  fort  was  completed  near  tlie  site  of  tlie 
present  city  of  Mobile.  Tlie  iSieur  de  Muys,  who  had  been 
commissioned  governor,  died  on  the  outward  passage  from 
France  ;  but  M.  Diron  d'Artaguette,  the  commissiairc  ordon- 
noteur,  who  had  arrived  in  Louisiana  in  1708,  entered  upon 
his  official  duties.*  This,  however,  was  provisional. 
;,  In  order  to  the  more  speedy  and  systematic  devel- 
opment of  the  commercial  and  mineral   resources  of  tlie 


'Bancroft's   History,    III.,   p.  .'U;J;   and  Momsttu's   IliHt.  of   Mjhs. 
ValU'v,  I.,  2U1>. 


234 


Louisiana  under  Crozat. 


country,  Louis  XIV.,  by  letters  patent,  bearing  date  at 
Fontainbleau,  September  14,  1712,  and  registered  in  the 
Parliament  of  Paris  on  the  24th  of  September,  granted  a 
monopoly  of  the  commerce,  and  sole  direction  of  the  afiairs 
of  the  new  province  (for  the  term  of  fifteen  years)  to  M. 
Antoine  Crozat,  Marquis  de  Chatel,  a  man  of  great  wealth, 
one  of  his  majesty's  councillors,  and  secretary  of  his  house- 
hold, crown  and  revenue.  This  royal  patent  constituted 
the  first  regular  charter  of  government  for  Louisiana.  It 
is  a  lengthy  and  elaborately  drawn  paper,  the  introductory 
portion  whereof  reads  as  follows  : 

^^  Louis,  by  the  grace  of  God,  King  of  France  and  Na- 
varre, ■!,._, 

"  Tb  all  who  shall  see  these  present  letters,  greeting  : 
"  The  care  we  have  always  had  to  procure  the  welfare 
and  advantage  of  our  subjects,  having  induced  us,  not- 
withstanding the  almost  continual  wars  which  we  have 
been  obliged  to  support  from  the  beginning  of  our  reign, 
to  seek  for  all  possible  opportunities  of  enlarging  and  ex- 
tending the  trade  of  our  American  colonies ;  we  did,  in  the 
year  1683  (1684),  give  our  orders  to  undertake  a  discovery 
of  the  countries  and  lands  which  are  situated  in  the 
northern  part  of  America,  between  New  France  i  id  New 
Mexico,  and  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  to  whom  we  committed 
that  enterprise,  having  had  success  enough  to  confirm  a 
belief  that  a  coramuincation  might  be  settled  (opened)  from 
New  France  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  by  means  of  largo 
rivers,  this  o])liged  us  inmiediately  after  the  peace  of  Rys- 
wick  to  give  orders  for  the  establishing  a  colony  there,  and 
maintaining  a  garrison  which  has  kept  and  preserved  the 
possession,  we  had  taken  in  the  year  1683,  of  the  lands, 
coasts  and  islands,  which  are  situated  in  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico, between  Carolina  on  the  east  and  Old  and  New  Mexico 
on  the  west. 

"  But  a  new  war  having  broke  out  in  Europe  shortly 
after,  there  was  no  possibility  till  now  of  reaping  from  that 
colony  the  advantages  that  might  have  been  expected  from 
thence,  because  the  private  men,  who  are  concerned  in  the 
sea-trade,  were  all  under  engagements  with  other  colonies, 


CrozaVs  Royal  Patent. 


235 


I  cx- 

i\  the 

)very 
the 
^ew 
tted 
in  a 
from 
urge 
UyB- 
,  and 
I  the 
aiulrt, 
Mex- 
aIco 

lortly 
tluit 

I  from 

II  the 
)iiie8, 


which  they  have  been  obliged  to  follow.  And,  whereas, 
upon  the  information  we  have  received  concerning  the  dis- 
position and  situation  of  the  said  countries  known  at  pres- 
ent by  the  name  of  the  Province  of  Louisiana,  we  are  of 
opinion  thu,t  there  may  be  established  therein  a  considera- 
ble commerce,  so  much  the  more  advantageous  to  our 
kingdom  in  that  there  has  hitherto  been  a  necessity  of 
fetching  from  foreigners  the  greater  part  of  the  commodi- 
ties which  may  be  brought  from  thence,  and  because  in  ex- 
change thereof,  we  need  carry  thither  nothing  but  commod- 
ities of  the  growth  and  manufacture  of  our  own  kingdom, 

"  We  have  resolved  to  grant  the  commerce  of  the  coun- 
try of  Louisiana  to  tlie  Sieur  Anthon}"  Crozat,  our  council- 
lor, secretary  of  the  household,  crown,  and  revenue,  to 
whom  we  intrust  the  execution  of  this  project.  We  are  the 
more  readily  inclined  hereunto,  because  his  zeal  an<l  the 
singular  knowledge  he  has  acquired  in  maritime  commerce 
encourage  us  to  hope  for  as  good  success  as  he  has  hitherto 
had  in  the  divers  and  sundry  enterprises  he  has  gone  upon, 
and  which  have  procured  to  our  kingdom  great  quantities 
of  gold  and  silver  in  such  conjunctures  as  have  rendered 
them  very  welcome  to  us. 

"For  these  reasons,  being  desirous  to  show  our  favor 
to  him,  and  to  regulate  the  conditions  upon  which  we  mean 
to  grant  him  the  said  commerce,  after  having  deliberated 
this  affair  in  our  council,  of  our  certain  knowledge,  full 
power  and  royal  authority,  we,  by  these  presents,  signed  by 
our  hand,  have  appointed,  and  do  appoint,  the  said  8ieur 
Crozat,  solely  to  carry  on  a  trade  in  all  the  lands  possessed 
by  us,  and  bounded  by  New  Mexico,  and  by  the  English 
of  Carolina,  all  the  establishment,  ports,  havens,  rivers, 
and  principally  the  port  and  haven  of  the  Isle  Dauphine, 
heretofore  called  Massacre,  the  river  of  St.  Louis,  hereto- 
fore called  Mississip[)i,  from  the  edge  of  the  sea  as  far  as 
the  Illinois,  together  with  the  river  of  Saint  Philip,  here- 
tofore called  the  Missoury's,  and  of  Saint  Jerome,  hereto- 
fore called  Ouabache,  with  all  the  countries,  territories, 
lakes,  within  land,  ami  the  rivers  which  fall  directly  o»'  in- 
directly into  that  part  of  the  river  St.  Louis." 


236 


Lmiisiana  under  Crozat. 


The  kind  of  government  to  be  establiehed  under  this 
patent,  and  the  powers,  duties,  and  restrictions  imposed  by 
it  upon  M  Crozat,  are  specifically  defined  in  the  Articles, 
the  first  of  which  is  thus  worded  : 

I.  "  Our  pleasure  is  that  all  the  aforesaid  lands,  coun- 
tries, streams,  rivers,  and  islands  be  and  remain  comprised 
under  the  name  of  the  government  of  Louifiiana,  which 
shall  be  dependent  upon  the  general  government  in  New 
France,  to  which  it  is  subordinate ;  and,  further,  that  all 
the  lands  which  we  possess  from  the  Illinois  be  united,  so 
far  as  occasion  requires,  to  the  general  government  of  New 
France,  and  become  part  thereof,*  reserving,  however,  the 
liberty  of  enlarging,  as  we  shall  think  fit,  the  extent  of  the 
government  of  the  said  country  of  Louisiana." 

Article  II.  granted  "to  the  said  Sieur  Crozat,  for  fifteen 
successive  years,  to  be  reckoned  from  the  day  of  enrolling 
these  presents,  a  right  and  power  to  transport  all  sorts  of 
goods  and  merchandise  from  France  into  the  said  country 
of  Louisiana,  and  to  traflic  thither  as  he  shall  think  fit." 
And  all  other  persons  o;  companies  were  herein  forbid- 
den to  trade  thither,  under  any  pretense  whatever,  under 
penalty  of  confiscation  of  goods  and  ships,  and  other  more 
severe  punishments,  as  occasion  should  require. 

Article  III.  permitted  him  "  to  search  for,  open,  and 
dig  all  sorts  of  mines,  veins,  and  minerals  throughout  the 
whole  extent  of  the  said  country  of  Louisiana,  ad  to  trans- 
port the  profits  thereof  into  any  part  of  France  during  the 
said  fifteen  years."  By  this  article  there  was  also  granted 
to  Crozat,  in  perpetuity,  his  heirs  and  others  claiming  un- 
der him  or  them,  the  property  of  and  in  said  mines,  veins, 
and  minerals,  which  he  should  bring  to  bear,  paying  the 
king,  in  lieu  of  all  claim,  the  fifth  part  of  all  the  gold  and 
silver,  to  be  transported  to  France  at  Crozat's  own  ex- 
pense (not  including  the  risk  of  sea  and  war),  and  the  tenth 
part'of  what  efi'ects  he  might  draw  from  the  otner  mines, 
veins,  and  minerals,  which  tenth  was  to  be  conveyed  to  ths 

*Thi8  provision  was  doubtless  intended  to  apply  to  the  northern 
part  of  the  Illinois  country. 


Crozafs  Royal  Patent. 


237 


king's  magazine  in  Louisiana.  He  was  also  permitted  to 
search  for  precious  stones  and  pearls,  paying  the  one-fiftli 
part  of  the  same  to  his  majesty,  in  like  manner  as  directed 
for  the  gold  and  silver. 

It  was  further  herein  provided,  that  the  said  Crozat, 
his  heirs,  or  those  claiming  under  him  or  them  the  perpet- 
ual right  aforesaid,  should  forfeit  the  property  in  the  said 
mines,  veins,  and  minerals,  if  they  discontinued  the  work 
during  three  years,  and  that  in  such  case,  the  said  mines, 
veins,  and  minerals  should  he  fully  re-united  to  the  king's 
domain,  without  the  formality  of  any  process  of  law,  hut 
only  hy  an  ordinance  of  reunion  from  the  sub-delegate  of 
the  intendant  of  New  France,  who  should  he  in  the  said 
country. 

Articles  IV.,  V.,  and  VI.  relate  to  and  regulate  the 
trade  to  be  carried  on  by  said  Crozat  with  the  French  and 
Indians  in  Louisiana,  an<l  also  to  the  mills  and  manufac- 
tories he  was  authorized  to  set  up  in  the  said  country. 

Article  VII.  provides,  that  the  royal  "  edicts,  ordi- 
nances and  customs,  the  usages  of  the  mayoralty  and 
shrievcalty  of  Paris,  shall  be  observed  for  laws  and  cus- 
toms in  the  said  country  of  Louisiana." 

The  next  succeeding  six  articles  specify  the  minimum 
number  of  ships  to  be  sent  out  annually  by  the  said  Crozat 
to  said  Louisiana,  and  oblige  him  to  transport  thither  at 
his  own  charge  such  of  the  king's  troops  as  may  be  needed 
for  garrison  dut}-;  exempt  from  all  duties  the  goods  and 
merchandise  by  him  exported  from  or  imported  to  the  said 
country,  but  require  the  same  to  V)e  deposited  in  and  de- 
livered from  the  goveriiment  custom  and  warehouses ;  and, 
further,  grant  him  the  use  of  the  felluccas  and  canoes  be- 
longing to  the  king  in  said  Louisiana,  on  condition  that  at 
the  expiration  of  his  patent,  he  shall  restore  them,  or  an 
equal  number  in  their  place,  to  the  governor  of  the  province. 

The  three  concluding  articles  of  the  patent  are  worded 
as  follows :       '  . 

XIV.  "  If,  for  the  cultures  and  plantations  which  the  , 
Sieur  Crozat  is  minded  to  make,  he  tinds  it  i)roper  to  have 
blacks  in  the  said  country  of  Louisiami,  he  may  send  a  ship 


238 


Louisiana  under  Crozat. 


every  year  to  trade  directly  upon  the  coast  of  Guinea,  taking 
l)ermi88ion  from  the  Guinea  Company  so  to  do,  (and)  he 
may  sell  those  blacks  to  tlie  inhabitants  of  the  colony  of 
Louisiana ;  and  we  forbid  all  other  companies  and  persons 
whatsoever,  under  any  pretense  wliatsoever,  to  introduce 
blacks  or  traffic  for  them  in  the  said  country,  nor  shall  the 
said  Sieur  Crozat  carry  blacks  elsewhere. 

XV.  "  He  shall  not  send  any  ships  into  the  said  coun- 
try of  Louisiana,  but  directly  from  France,  and  he  shall 
cause  the  said  ships  to  return  thither  again,  the  whole 
under  pain  of  confiscation  and  forfeiture  of  the  present 
privilege. 

XVI.  "The  said  Sieur  Crozat  shall  be  obliged,  after 
the  expiration  of  the  first  nine  years  of  this  grant,  to  pay 
the  officers  and  the  garrison  which  shall  be  in  the  said 
country  during  the  six  last  years  of  the  continuance  of  the 
present  privilege. 

"  The  said  Sieur  Crozat  may  in  that  time  propose  and 
nominate  the  officers,  as  vacancies  shall  fall,  and  sucli 
officers  shall  be  confirmed  by  us,  if  we  approve  then."  '^ 

Such  are  the  material  provisions  of  the  ample  charter 
granted  by  the  king  to  M.  Antoine  Crozat,  in  the  hope 
of  receiving  thereby  rich  monetary  returns  to  replenish  his 
depleted  exchequer.  We  have  given  the  more  space  to  the 
exposition  of  this  patent,  because  under  it  was  instituted 
the  first  civil  government  for  the  Province  of  Louisiana, 
including  the  Illinois. 

To  eftectuate  the  main  purpose  of  his  grant,  Crozat 
sent  out  from  France  the  necessary  miners  and  mining 
tools,  with  other  artisans  and  laborers,  and  some  slaves 
from  St.  Domingo,  to  begin  prospecting  for  the  precious 
metals. 

On  May  17,  1713,  a  large  French  ship  arrived  in  the 
waters  of  Louisiana,  having  on  board  Antoine  de  la  Mothe 
Cadillac,t  the  newly  appointed  governor  of  the  colony,  his 

*  For  the  full  text  of  Crozat's  Let'  irs  Patent,  see  "  Historical  Col- 
lections of  Louisiana,"  vol.  IIL 

tLa  Mothe,  or  La  Motte,  Cadillac  was  born  of  noble  parentage  in 
Gascony,  France,  about  tlie  year  lOGG.    bailing  thence  to  America,  he 


Officers  of  Crozafs  Government. 


239 


family,  and  M.  Duclos,  intendant  commissary.  By  the 
same  vessel  was  also  brought  a  '^jommission  naming  Bien- 
ville as  lieutenant-governor.  The  coming  of  Cadillac  and 
his  associates  would  have  had  a  more  salutary  influence  on 
the  future  of  the  colony,  if  he  and  Bienville  had  acted  in 
concert;  but  they  were  mutually  jealous  of  each  other  from 
the  outset,  and  each  had  his  party  of  followers,  which 
proved  detrimental  to  the  interests  of  Loth. 

At  this  early  and  unpromising  stage  of  her  history  as 
a  colony,  although  over  two  thousand  persons  had  been 
transported  thither.  Southern  Louisiana  contained  not  more 
than  four  hundred  whites,  twenty  negro  slaves,  and  about 
three  hundred  head  of  horned  cattle,  which  latter  had 
mostly  been  imported  from  St.  Domingo. 

The  Sieur  Crozat  ex[»ected  to  realize  handsome  profits 
from  the  fur-trade  with  the  Indians,  and  if  he  had  confined 
himself  to  that  alone,  he  would  have  succeeded  better  in 
the  end  ;  but  the  possibility  of  sudden  wealth  from  the  dis- 
covery of  rich  mines  of  gold  and  silver  was  what  chiefly 
engaged  the  attention  of  his  agents,  and  induced  them  to 
the  most  lavish  outlay  of  capital.  To  accomplish  this  ob- 
ject, prospecting  parties  were  sent  out  to  various  parts  of 
the  country,  and  snuiU  posts  were  established  on  the  upper 
waters  of  Red  River,  the  Washita,  the  Yazoo,  the  Coosa,* 
the  Cumberland  (near  Nashville),  and  on  other  southern 
rivers.  Indeed,  to  such  a  degree  were  Crozat  and  his  part- 
ners afi'ected  by  this  mania  for  the  precious  metals,  that 
they  often  magnified  insignificant  findings  into  supposed 
realities  of  great  value.  But  though  gold  and  silver  were 
not  to  be  found,  either  b^'  washing,  digging  or  boring, 
large  deposits  of  the  less  valuable  ores  of  lead  and  iron  were 
found  in  what  is  now  south-eastern  Missouri.  The  mining 
adventurers  in  this  wild  region  drew  their  principal  sub- 
sistence from  the  French  settlements  of  Kaskaskia  and  Ca- 


served  as  a  captain  in  Acadia,  and  in  1H94  was  sent  by  Frontenac  to 
command  at  Mackinac;  after  wiiich,  in  1701,  lie  founded  the  military 
post  of  Detroit.  During  his  five  years'  stay  in  Louisiana,  he  not  only 
otliciated  as  governor,  but  was  a  partner  in  Crozat's  commercial  ven- 
tures. His  name  is  perpetuated  in  a  thriving  lumber  city  of  Michigan. 
*That  on  the  Coosa  was  called  Fort  Toulouse. 


240 


Jjouisiana  under  Crozat. 


hokia,  to  which  they  added  such  of  their  number  as  pre- 
ferred to  cultivate  the  soil  and  a  fixed  abode  to  the  more 
precarious  pursuit  of  mining.  Hence,  from  this  source,  the 
Illinois  colony  derived  a  considerable  accession  of  European 
bone  and  muscle.* 

Under  the  auspices  of  M.  Crozat  an  attempt  was  made 
to  open  trade  with  the  Spaniards  at  Vera  Cruz,  by  sending 
thither  a  vessel  laden  with  a  valuable  cargo  of  merchandise, 
but  it  was  not  allowed  to  land  either  there  or  at  any  other 
Mexican  port.  The  occupancy  of  Louisiana  by  the  French 
had  been  regarded  by  Spain  from  the  first  as  an  encroach- 
ment upon  her  territory,  and  a  menace  to  her  supremacy  in 
the  Gulf;  and,  therefore,  after  three  years  of  ineffectual  ne- 
gotiations with  the  viceroy  of  Mexico,  Crozat  was  obliged 
to  relinquish  his  scheme  of  commercial  relations  with  the 
Spanish  ports.  Another  project  was  to  establish  trade 
overland  with  the  interior  provinces  of  Mexico,  but  in  this 
case,  after  repeated  efforts,  he  also  failed,  his  goods  being 
seized  and  confiscated  and  his  agents  imprisoned.  Sordid 
the  fur-trade  with  the  Indians  prove  so  remunerative  as 
had  been  anticipated.  English  agents  from  Carolina  were 
active  in  their  efforts  to  incite  the  Choctaws  and  Chicku- 
saws  against  the  French,  and,  wherever  it  was  practica- 
ble, they  controlled  the  fur-trafiic  by  furnishing  goods  to 
the  Indians  at  reduced  prices.  Agriculture,  the  only  source 
of  permanent  prosperity,  was  of  course  neglected.  At  the 
end  of  four  years,  he  had  expended  about  425,000  livres 
and  realized  only  300,000,t  and  he  found  himself  unable  to 
meet  his  liabilities  or  pay  his  men. 

On  the  28d  of  August,  171 7,  M.  Crozat,  despairing  ot  any 
better  success  in  the  future,  surrendered  his  vested  rights 
and  privileges  to  the  young  king,  Louis  XV.,  who  then  oc- 
cupied the  throne  of  France  under  the  regency  of  the  Duke 
of  Orleans,  and  thereupon  the  government  of  Louisiana 
reverted   solely  to   the   ofiUcers  appointed   by  the  crown. 

*At  a  later  period  the  French  opened  and  worked  lea<l  mince,  to 
some  exteul,  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  about  (ialena  and  Dubuque, 
t  Davidson  and  .Stave's  Hist.  111.,  p.  114. 


Bienville  and  the  Natchez. 


241 


3re- 

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ill  iie- 

jUged 

,h  the 
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in  this 
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J"  or  did 

tive  as 

a  were 
hieka- 
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source 
At  the 
livrefl 
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ot  any 

rights 

lien  oc- 

Duke 

hisiana 

Icrown. 

i lines,  to 


During  the  five  years  of  his  connection  with  the  province, 
ahhough  it  wae  widely  explored,  the  growth  of  the  French 
settlements  therein  was  inconsiderable,  and  but  little  was 
accomplished  for  their  real  benefit.  The  principal  pros- 
perity they  enjoyed  grew  out  of  the  enterprise  of  individual 
merchants  and  traders,  who,  despite  the  restrictions  of 
Crozat's  monopoly,  managed  to  carry  on  a  limited  trade 
with  the  natives  and  with  some  of  the  neighboring  European 
colonies.  At  the  close  of  this  epoch  the  colonists  and 
adventurers  in  Upper  and  Lower  Louisiana,  including  the 
king's  troops  sent  thither  to  protect  them,  did  not  exceed 
lifteen  hundred  souls. 

From  the  foregoing  revie.v  of  the  Parisian  Crozat's 
operations  in  Louisiaiui,  we  turn  to  chronicle  certain  civil 
and  military  events  which  transpired  in  the  province  during 
that  period.  In  February,  1716,  Lieut.  Bienvlile  departed 
up  the  Mississippi,  under  the  orders  of  Governor  Cadillac, 
on  an  expedition  to  the  Natc\iez  nation,  where  some  French 
hunters  and  traders  had  already  found  a  lodgment. 
Having  learned  that  five  Frenchmen  had  been  slain,  and 
that  six  more  were  still  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  Xat- 
chez,  Bienville  dissembled  his  knowledge  of  the  matter 
until  he  had  induced  the  war-chiefs  to  meet  him  in 
council,  when  they  gave  up  their  six  prisoners.  He  then 
reproached  them  with  the  murder  of  the  other  Frenchmen, 
and  refused  to  treat  with  them  until  the  guilty  authors 
should  be  surrendered  up  to  him.  They  replied  that  it  was 
not  possible  for  sun-chiefs  and  men  of  valor  to  thus  give 
up  their  people.  Upon  this  they  were  inmiediately  put  in 
irons  and  imprisoned  under  guard.  On  the  next  day  the 
prisoner  chiefs  requested  permission  to  send  a  deputation 
to  their  grand  chief,  desiring  him  to  send  the  head  of  the 
chief  Whitehead,  who  was  the  principal  murderer.  Bien- 
ville having  given  his  consent,  the  deputation  v/as  sent,  and 
returned,  not  with  the  head  of  that  chief,  but  with  another 
who  was  M'illing  to  devote  himself  to  death  in  place  of 
Whitehead.  This  and  other  similar  offers  the  French  com- 
mander firmly  declined.  7  . 
.16 


242 


Louisiana  under  Crozat. 


In  tho  meantime  he  received  a  letter  from  a  Canadian 
among  the  Natchez,  informing  him  that  six  pirogues  of  liis 
countrymen  were  on  their  way  down  the  river,  and  that, 
ignorant  of  this  rupture  with  the  Indians,  they  woukl  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  latter.  Bienville  promptly  dispatched 
a  canoe  from  his  camp,  which  passed  the  Natchez  village 
unperceived,  and,  meeting  the  Canadian  voyageurs,  apprised 
them  of  their  danger.  Not  wishing  to  resort  to  extreme 
measures  against  the  Natchez,  Bienville  finally  proposed 
peace  to  them  on  condition  that  they  should  put  to  death 
Big-beard,  one  of  the  murderers,  and  help  to  build 
a  fort  for  the  French;  which  terms  they  complied 
with.  The  fort  was  erected  on  an  elevated  bluff  overlook- 
ing the  river,  and  on  the  site  that  had  been  previously 
selected  by  M.  d'lV^erville.  It  was  named  Rosalie  in  com- 
pliment to  the  wife  of  Count  Pontchartrain,  formerly  Sec- 
retary of  State  for  the  Colonies.  Thus  was  laid  the  mili- 
tary foundation  of  the  present  city  of  Natchez, — the  oldest 
permanent  white  settlement  on  the  Lower  Mississippi,  save 
that  of  Arkansas  Post,  which  was  never  a  place  of  much 
importance.  Having  re-established  peaceful  relations  with 
the  Natchez  nation,  Bienville  stationed  a  garrison  at  Fort 
Rosalie  to  maintain  it,  and  returned  down  the  river  with 
the  rest  of  his  men  to  the  French  head-quarters. 

Late  in  August,  1716,  Louis  .Tuchereau  de  St.  Denis  re- 
turned to  Fort  Louis  on  the  Mobile  from  an  extraordinary 
journey  overland  to  Mexico,  or  New  Spain.  Two  years  be- 
fore, in  1714,  he  had  been  sent  by  Governor  Cadillac  to 
the  middle  provinces  of  Mexico  for  the  double  purpose  of 
finding  a  market  for  Crozat's  goods,  and  of  forestalling  the 
action  of  the  Spaniards,  who  were  supposed  to  be  meditat- 
ing an  establishment  at  the  Natchitoches.  Having  been 
supplied  by  the  governor  with  ten  thousand  livres  worth  of 
merchantable  goods,  St.  Denis,  with  twenty-four  Cana- 
dians, and  an  equal  number  of  southern  Indians,  ascended 
the  Mississippi  and  Red  River  to  the  village  of  the  Natciii- 
toches,  located  on  an  island  in  the  latter  stream.  Arrived 
thither,  he  at  first  employed  his  men  in  building  »^mie  log 
cabins  for  the  use  of  those  whom  he  intended  to  leave  be- 


St.  Denis'  Ooeiiand  Journey  to  Mexico. 


243 


hiiul.  Then,  taking  witli  him  twelve  picked  Canadians,  and 
a  few  active  young  Indians,  all  well  armed  and  mounted, 
he  quit  the  low  valley  of  Red  River,  and  boldly  struck 
across  the  far-spreading  plains  to  the  westward.  After 
twenty  days'  march,  he  readied  a  tribe  of  the  Cenis  nation, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Trinity  River.  Being  furnished  by  them 
with  fresh  guides,  the  leader  and  liis  troop  traveled  tlience 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  to  the  south-west, 
when  they  arrived  at  the  Spanish  settlenient  of  San  Juan 
Bautista,  or  Presidio  del  Norte,  situate  some  two  leagues 
bevond  the  Rio  Grande.  Here  St.  Denis  was  well  received 
by  the  Spanish  commandant,  Don  Pedro  de  Vilescas,  who 
took  him  and  the  principal  men  of  his  party  to  his  own 
quaiters,  and  assigned  lodgings  for  the  remainder. 

It  was  now  near  the  close  of  the  year  1714,  and,  after 
a  few  days'  rest,  St.  Denis  began  negotiations  with  Don 
Pedro  for  the  opening  of  a  regulated  trade  with  the  French 
colonists  of  Louisiana.  But  the  Spanish  officer  informed 
liim  that  he  could  do  nothing  without  the  permission  of  his 
inmiediate  superior,  the  governor  of  Caouis  (Coahuila),  to 
Avhom  he  sent  a  courier  for  orders.  The  governor  de- 
cided that  St.  Denis  would  have  to  go  to  the  capital  and 
see  the  viceroy  in  person.  To  this  he  assented,  but  was  in 
no  hurry  about  starting,  having  meantime  become  enam- 
ored of  Dona  Maria,  the  handsome  daughter  of  Don  Pedro. 
At  length,  on  setting  out  from  Caouis,  he  wrote  to  the 
Frenchmen-at-arms  whom  he  had  left  at  Presidio  del  Norte 
to  return  to  the  Natchitoches.  He  made  the  journey  south- 
ward to  the  city  of  Mexico  (distant  over  two  hundred 
leagues)  with  M.  Jallot,  one  of  his  French  companions,  and 
was  escorted  by  a  body  of  twenty -five  Spanish  horsemen. 
Upon  his  arrival  at  the  capital,  St.  Denis  presented  his  cre- 
dentials to  the  viceroy,  who,  after  perusing  them,  sent  him 
to  prison,  where  he  was  detained  for  three  months,  and 
might  have  been  kept  in  "durance  vile''  much  longer,  if  it 
had  not  been  for  tlie  personal  intercession  of  some  French 
officers  in  the  service  of  New  Spain.  After  his  liberation 
he  was  generously  treated  by  the  viceroy,  who  spared  no 
effort  to  induce  him  to  enter  the  military  service  of  Spain. 


244 


Louisiana  under  Crozat. 


Among  other  arguments  used  for  this  purpose,  the  viceroy 
told  him  that  he  was  ah'eady  a  half  Spaniard,  since  he 
sought  the  hand  of  the  daughter  of  Don  Pedro  de  Vilescas, 
and  was  to  marry  her  upon  his  return  to  San  Juan. 

Prior  to  his  departure  from  the  city  of  Mexico,  St. 
Denis  is  said  to  have  concerted  a  plan  with  the  viceroy  for 
the  planting  of  Roman  Catholic  missions  among  the  Indian 
nations  in  Texas.  Quitting  the  Mexican  capital  about  the 
26th  of  October,  1715,  he  journeyed,  witlt  a  snuill  escort, 
back  to  Presidio  del  Norte.  Here  he  performed  a  valuable 
service  to  the  Spanish  commandant,  by  pi  eventing  the  re- 
moval of  certain  dissatisfied  tribes  from  the  Rio  Grande, 
whose  trade  and  friendship  was  of  importance  to  the  Span- 
iards. Soon  after  this  he  married  Don  Pedro's  daugliter, 
with  whom  he  lived  happily  for  six  months,  when  it  be- 
came necessary  for  him  to  return  to  Louisiana.  But  no 
sooner  had  he  arrived  at  the  French  head-quarters,  and  re- 
ported to  Governor  Cadillac  the  result  of  his  lengthened 
mission,  than  he  made  haste  to  join  another  land  expedi- 
tion to  Mexico.  Arrived  thither,  he  repeated  some  of  his 
former  experiences,  and  was  again  imprisoned  by  the  Span- 
ish iUithorities,  but  managed  to  effect  his  escape. 

Returning  to  Louisiana,  in  1719,  St.  Denis  was  after- 
ward a^tpointed  commandant  of  the  post  of  Natchitoches, 
where  he  was  joined  by  his  wife  and  family,  and  where  we 
shall  find  him  taking  part  in  the  Natches  war.  He  was, 
indeed,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  personages  of  his  time 
in  the  province,  and  the  narrative  of  his  Mexican  adven- 
tures reads  more  like  the  story  of  a  paladin  of  romance 
than  sober  reality.  It  is  true  that  he  accoini)lishcd  little  or 
nothing  in  the  way  of  establishing  commercial  intercourse 
with  the  arrogant  and  exclusive  hidalgos  of  Mexico,  yet 
his  long  journeys  back  and  forth  across  the  country  added 
greatly  io  the  geographical  knowledge  of  the  French,  and 
enabled  them  to  extend  and  confirm  their  alliances  with 
the  principal  aboriginal  tribes  of  Texas.* 


•From  ('harlevoix'  History  of    New   France   (vol.  vi.,  p.   '2  and 
note),  we  glean  some  further  particulars  in  regard  to  the  clieckcrevl  life 


Recall  of  Governor  Cadillac. 


245 


Ire  we 
was, 
time 
Idveii- 
Iniiiu'e 
[tlo  or 
•ourBC 

II,  iviul 
wit)i 


2  and 
led  life 


In  January,  1717,  soon  after  the  return  of  St.  J)e).r 
from  his  first  overland  journey  to  Mexico,  the  governor 
sent  a  sergeant  with  a  few  soldiers  to  take  possession  of 
the  before-mentioned  island  of  Natchitoches,  and  to  estab- 
lish a  military  post  there;  it  being  regarded  by  tlie  French 
authorities  not  only  as  a  place  of  strategic  importance,  l)ut 
as  a  good  location  for  interior  trade  with  the  natives  of 
that  region.  This  was  the  commencement,  of  the  still  ex- 
isting town  of  Natchitoches. 

On  tlie  9th  of  March,  in  that  year,  M.  de  '  ;  !>?  f:he 
Cadillac,  having  served  almost  four  years  as  goveiii.t'  ot 
Louisiana,  and  failing  to  give  satisfaction,  was  relieved  by 
M.  de  L'Epinay,  who  arrived  with  three  ships,  bringing 
out  some  fifty  immigrants,  an»l  three  com[>anies  of  infantry 
to  fill  the  depleted  garrisons  of  the  province.  The  retiriiig 
executive  returned  by  the  same  vessels  to  France,  where  he 
died  in  the  following  year.  Bienville,  however,  still  re- 
tained the  position  of  lieutenant-governor,  and,  about 
this  time  received  the  decoration  of  the  Cross  of  St.  Louis. 

Heretofore  the  business  of  agriculture  had  been  almost 
totally  neglected  by  the  colonists,  and  they  had  often  ex- 
perienced a  partial  tamine  in  consequence  of  such  neglect. 
It  was  now  proposed  to  form  an  agricultural  settlement  on 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  to  raise  necessary 
provisions  for  the  consumption  of  the  settlers.  The  grow- 
ing of  articles  for  export,  such  as  rice,  indigo  and  tobacco, 
was  also  contemplated,  for  which  the  soil  was  found  well 
adapted. 

It  was  during  the  year  1717,  while  looking  for  a  suita- 

of  Louis  Jiu'heri'UU  de  St.  Denis.  Born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  .Sei)teml)er 
18,  167(),  he  was  a  8(»u  of  Nicholas  Juehereau  Sieur  de  St.  Denis,  or 
DenvH,  ami  an  uncle  of  tlu'  wife  of  M.  (I'lherville.  In  17'_'(),  after  his 
sccoml  expedition  to  >iexit'o,  the  C'iievalier  de  St.  Denis  received  the 
brevet  of  captain,  and  the  insignia  of  the  Cross  of  St.  Louis— a  military 
order  instituted  by  Louis  XIV.,  in  l<)9u,  for  the  encouragenu;nt  of  the 
otfioers  of  the  army  ami  navy.  In  1721,  he  \>!i8  sont  with  a  detacliment 
oi  reguUir  troops  to  Natcliitoches,  and  remained  there  in  comniaml  of 
that  post.  The  date  of  his  death  is  not  determined,  tiioe.gh  it  was  sub- 
sequi'nt  to  the  year  1731.  It  is  t')l<l  that  he  died  much  regretted  by  the 
Indians  of  the  lleci  River  Valley,  with  whose  language  and  customs  }\e 
wuH  entirely  familiar,  and  over  wljom  he  wielded  an  extensive  influence. 


246 


Demise  of  Louis  XIV. 


bio  looation  on  tlie  Mississippi,  to  become  the  nucleus  of 
the  projected  agricultural  and  commercial  settlement,  that 
Bienville  selected  the  tract  whereon  New  Orleans  now 
stands,  lying  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river,  where  it 
makes  a  great  curve  to  the  east,  and  distant  one  hundrc<l 
and  live  miles  from  its  mouth.  The  situation  was  low  and 
swampy,  and  by  i\o  means  inviting  to  the  superficial  ob- 
server; but  with  its  ])roximity  to  the  waters  of  Lakes 
Borgne  and  Bontchartniin,  and  with  a  dee]»  river  chanm-l 
to  the  sea,  it  promised  idtlmately  to  become  a  commercia' 
mart, — considerations  which  no  doubt  intluenced  its  choice. 
Having  fixed  upon  the  site,  Bienville  afterward  caused  it 
to  be  surveyed,  and  sent  a  party  of  woodmen  there  to 
make  a  clearing.  Such  appears  to  have  been  the  origin  of 
that  great  southern  emporium,  of  Avliose  gradual  rise  i)ito 
prominence  and  importance,  we  shall  have  occasion  to 
furtiier  speak  in  the  sequel. 


As  a  not  )na[)propriate  conclusion  to  the  present  chap- 
ter, some  general  notice  may  iiere  be  taken  of  the  demise 
and  character  of  Louis  XIV.,  the  Grand  Monarqiie,  under 
whose  authority  all  the  discoveries,  explorations,  and  set- 
tlements by  the  French  in  the  Mississipi)i  Vallc}'  had 
liitherto  been  etfected.  On  .September  1,  1715,  after  a  short 
illness,  the  great  king  breathed  his  last  in  his  palace  at 
Versailles,  having  reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
seven,  and  reigned  seventy-two  years.  During  the  three 
preceding  years,  he  had  been  severely  tried  by  domestic 
afHictions.  llis  and>itious  second  wife,  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon,  whom  he  had  privately  married,  went  into  voluntary 
retirement.  He  lost  by  death  his  son  and  heir  api)arent, 
llis  grandson  and  eldest  great-grandson  ;  so  that  his  young- 
est great-grandson  succeeded  to  the  crown  under  the  title 
of  Louis  XV. 

Louis  the  Fourteenth  had  fallen  lieir  to  the  throne  of 
France  in  1043,  when  less  than  six  years  old,  and  during 
llis  minority  his  motiier  was  regent  of  the  kingdom,  with 
Cardinal  Mazarin  as  her  chief  councilor.  The  reign  of  thin 
Louis  was  the  longest  and,  in  many  respects,  the  most  il- 


Ills  BeiijH  and  Character. 


247 


lustrious  in  the  annals  of  France.  Among  the  princes  of 
his  time,  lie  stood  pre-eminent  in  commanding  presence,  in 
regal  dignity,  and  in  absolute  power.  After  the  death  of 
Mazarin,  in  1661,  he  had  no  prime  minister,  but  he  wisely 
chose  great  men  for  his  assistu.its  and  ministers  of  govern- 
ment. Under  him  Colbert  and  Louvois  long  filled  the  first 
ofiices  of  state ;  the  former  l)eing  the  great  promoter  of 
French  industry  and  numufactures,  while  the  latter  was  his 
able  .'ind  successful  minister  of  war.  Ilis  foremost  gen- 
erals were  Turenne,  Conde,  and  Luxembourg,  while  Vau- 
ban  was  his  chief  military  engineer.  The  younger  Mansard 
was  made  head  architect  and  su[terintendent  of  tlie  royal 
buildings. 

During  his  reign,  I'aris  and  its  environs  were  adorned 
with  parks  and  public  edifices  to  an  extent  previously  un- 
known. The  most  noted  of  these  were  the  Ohsenrntoi re,  the 
Church  of  Val  de  Grace,  the  Colonnade  of  the  LoHrrCy  the 
Hotel  des  Liiudides,  the  completion  of  the  Palais  Roycd,  the 
Place  i(es  VictoireSy  the  Place  Vendome,  and  additions  to  the 
palace  of  the  TaUeries;  but,  above  all  others  in  extent  and 
miignificence,  is  the  palace  and  garden  of  Versailles.*  The 
architecture  of  these  various  buildings,  like  the  dress  of 
that  agts  is  })rofuscly  ornatj,  and  wanting  iii  })ure  taste. 

Louis  XIV.  was  a  numifieent  jtatron  of  literature, 
science  and  the  arts,  and  some  of  the  most  celebrated 
writers  of  France  Hourished  umler  his  reign.  The  French 
toiigue  was  then  cultivatcvl  and  polished  to  such  a  degree 
that  it  tecame  the  language  of  court  and  diplonuitic  circles 
tlirouglH)Ut  Kuro})e.  lie  made  his  ca))ital  the  gayest  and 
most  luxurious  in  Kuro[)e.  lie  caused  the  court  of  Ver- 
sailles to  be  every-where  admired  and  imitated  as  a  model 
of  taste  and  elegance,  and  of  a  princely  and  refined  style 


■  "  It  was  oil  tliiH  Hi>U>ii<li«l  piUact'tliiit  I.onis  XIV.  liivislicil  tlu'  wi'alth 
uf  'uH  |H'oj)K>,  t(t  jiivr  cxiirrHsion  to  his  own  yraiulcur  and  HcKiHli  ambi- 
tion. It  WUH  l)uilt  oil  till'  site  of  tlit'  hunting  lodnc  of  Lonis  Xlll.,  teu 
uiiios  from  Paris,  wliii'h  city  Louis  disUked,  bccauHc  he  saw  there  only 
tlif  <'(lificeH  and  inoiuiiiifnt.s  of  otiicr  kind's.  Tiic  huildiiinH  conHtitutiug 
till'  palace,  uiuiertukeu  in  Kilil,  were  roininittcd  in  1(170  to  the  architect 
Manward,  and  their  construction  was  continued  to  the  end  of  the  reign."— 
Avdtmtu' 8  History  of  France. 


248 


Demise  of  Louis  XI V. 


of  living.  But  as  he  sought  ouly  the  gratification  of  hia 
pride  an<l  vanity,  his  love  of  pageantry  and  pleasure,  and 
his  thirst  for  dominion  and  renown,  his  personal  rule  ex- 
tinguished all  civil  freedom,  sound  morals  and  manly  sen- 
timents among  his  subjects.  Court  favor,  therefore,  became 
the  aim  and  end  of  all  individual  effort,  and  adroit  flattery 
was  the  surest  way  to  attain  it.  A  venal  age,  virtue  and 
merit  were  but  lightly  esteemed.  In  fine,  such  were  the 
baneful  effects  of  his  policy  and  example,  that  from  his 
reign  has  been  dated  the  decline  of  the  great  French  mon- 
archy, though  it  was  accelerated  by  the  incapacity  of  his 
successors.  , 

The  latter  years  of  Louis'  imperial  sway  were  clouded 
by  reverses  to  his  armies  in  the  field,  and  by  a  spirit  of 
bigoted  intolerance  in  his  civil  administration.  His  revo- 
cation of  the  Edict  of  Nantes*  was  as  imi)olitic  as  it  was 
unjustifiable,  and  his  st'n-n  ])ersecution  of  the  Protestant 
Huguenots  drove  from  his  kingdom  nearly  half  a  million 
of  his  most  industrious  and  useful  subjects.  But  religious 
toleration,  as  now  generally  understood  and  approved,  was 
in  that  age  little  known,  and  still  less  practiced,  on  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe.  The  king  believed  and  acted  upon  the 
theory  that  unity  of  religious  faith  was  essential  to  the 
stability  of  his  throne.  His  ruling  principle  of  government 
was  embodied  in  the  famous  aphorism  ascribed  to  him — Lc 
etat  c'  est  moi,  or,  "I  am  the  state."  f 

To  the  readers  of  English  history  Louis  XIV.  is  re- 
membered as  the  generous  friend  and  supporter  of  James 
XL,  the  dethroned  Catholic  king  of  England. 

Among  the  best  known  French  works  on  this  great 
prince's  reign  are  Voltaire's  Sikie  de  Louis  XIV.,  St. 
Simon's  Memoirs,  and  Louis  XIV.  ct  so7i  Sikie,  by  Alexan- 
der Dumas. 


*  This  famous  ('(Hct  had  been  enacted  by  Henry  IV.,  in  April,  15!)S, 
and  beinj?  in  the  nature  of  a  eomproiuise,  it  was  deemed  irrevocable. 
The  order  for  it  revocation  was  iwHued  October  22,  1085. 

t  The  groat  king  may  never  have  uttered  these  words,  though  they 
perfectly  express  his  Hentiments;  for,  in  lOtiH,  he  wrote:  "it  is  (Jod'H 
will  that  whoever  is  born  a  subject  should  not  reason,  but  obey.''— 
Purkuuui's  Old  lieijiinr  in  Cniniild,  p.  172. 


Sketch  of  John  Law. 


249 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


1717-1723. 


FRENCH    FINANCES,    AND    LAW  S    MISSISSIPPI    COMPANY. 


The  long  wars  and  general  extravagance  of  Louia 
XIV.  bad  exliausted  France,  and  entailed  upon  lier  a 
debt  estimated  at  not  less  than  two  billions  of  livres, 
or  about  four  hundred  millions  of  dollars.  The  people 
were  oppressively  taxed,  but  still  the  surplus  revenues  of 
the  kingdom  were  wholly  inadequate  to  meet  the  annual 
interest  on  the  indebtedness.  The  consequence  was  that 
the  government  stocks  sank  to  a  merely  nominal  value, 
and  its  credit  was  depressed  to  the  lowest  ebb.  In  this 
dilemma,  while  the  regency  was  casting  about  for  some 
means  of  financial  relief,  Jolm  Law,  the  famous  financier- 
adventurer,  appeared  at  the  Court  of  Versailles  with  his 
"  magnificent  credit  system." 

John  Law,  eldest  son  of  a  Scotch  silversmith  and 
banker,  was  born  in  Edinburgli  in  April,  1671.  He  re- 
ceived a  liberal  education,  and  at  an  early  age  discovered 
a  strong  bent  for  finance.  After  the  death  of  his  father, 
and  before  attaining  to  his  majority,  he  became  notorious 
as  a  gambler  and  debauchee.  Having  unhappily  killed  an 
antagonist  named  Wilson,  in  a  duel,  he  fied  to  France  to 
avoid  arrest.  From  thence  he  passed  into  Holland,  where 
he  made  a  special  study  of  banking  in  the  great  banking 
house  at  Amsterdam.  After  perfecting  his  theory  lie  re- 
turned to  Edinburg  in  1700,  and  shortly  published  a  work 
advocating  the  establishment  of  a  bank  which  should  hold 
all  the  sources  of  revenue  of  the  state  in  its  own  hands, 
and,  treating  them  as  capital,  should  issue  notes  thereon, 
and  at  the  same  time  make  a  profit  by  discounting  bills 
and  notes.  His  plan  of  banking  was  ridiculed  by  the 
British  wits  of  the  day,  and  was  discarded  by  the  Scottish 


250         French  Finances^  and  Law's  Mississippi  Co. 

Parliament.  He  then  went  with  his  scheme  to  Paris, 
where  it  attracted  considerable  attention,  but  was  utterly  re- 
jected by  the  old  king  and  his  comptroller-general  of  finance. 
Law  sojourned  for  awhile  in  Paris,  leading  a  gay  and 
luxurious  existence,  playing  high  and  winning  large  sums 
of  mojiey.  But  liis  prosperous  career  was  interrupted  bj'^ 
a  message  from  the  chief  of  police,  ordering  him  to  quit 
Paris,  on  the  ground  that  he  "was  rather  too  skillful  at 
the  game  which  he  had  introduced."  For  several  years 
succeeding  he  shifted  his  abode  from  one  state  to  another 
in  Italy  and  Germany,  oft'ering  his  scheme  of  finance  to 
every  court  that  he  visited,  though  without  success.  The 
Duke  of  Savoy,  afterward  King  of  Sardinia,  was  much 
impressed  with  his  project,  but,  after  considering  it  for  a 
time,  remarked :  "  I  am  not  sufficiently  powerful  to  ruin 
myself." 

Upon  the  decease  of  the  great  Louis,  in  1715,  John 
Law  returned  to  Paris  with  a  fortune  of  half  a  million  of 
dollars,  which  he  had  acquired  by  gambling.  Louis  XV. 
was  then  but  a  child,  and  during  his  non-age  the  govern- 
ment was  administered  by  Philippe,  Due  d'  Orleans,*  as 
regent.  The  finances  of  France  being  at  this  time  in  a 
bankrupt  condition.  Law  soon  gained  a  hearing  at  court 
for  his  favorite  banking  project.  The  regent  had  before 
been  favor.ably  impressed  with  the  scheme,  which  suited  his 
bold  and  reckless  spirit,  and  his  taste  for  profligate  ex- 
travagance. Accordingly,  on  the  2d  of  May,  1716,  (lespite 
the  opposition  of  his  ministers  and  the  Parliament  of  I'aris, 
he  granted  letters  patent  to  Law,  authorizing  him  and  his 
brother  William  to  establish  a  bank  of  deposit,  discount 
and  circulation,  under  the  firm  name  of  "  Law  and  Cooi- 
pany,"  to  continue  for  twenty  years.  The  capital  of  this 
institution  was  fixed  at  six  millions  of  livres,  divided  into 
shares  of  five  hundred  livres  each,  which  were  to  be  sold 
for  twenty-five  per  cent  of  coin,  and  seventy-five  per  cent, 
of  the  public  securities.  The  coin,  which  had  been  already 
debased  by  an  arbitrary  edict  of  the  regent,  was  held  in 


He  wne  n  couein  or  second  cousin  of  the  youn>?  king. 


Law's  Banking  Scheme. 


251 


the  bank  for  the  redemption  of  its  notes.  Inasnmcli  as 
the  bank  accepted  at  par  government  securities,  on  which 
tlicre  was  a  discount  of  seventy-eight  per  cent.,  and  as 
tliere  was  a  general  hick  of  private  credit,  its  stock  was 
8(>on  taken,  and  a  very  hicrative  business  was  estabHshed. 
Thus,  while  the  bank  was  limited  in  its  operations,  and 
while  its  paper  really  represeuc^d  the  specie  in  its  vaults, 
it  seemed  to  realize  all  that  had  been  promised  for  it.  It 
speedily  acquired  public  confidence,  and  produced  an  activ- 
ity in  commerce  that  was  unknown  under  the  preceding 
reign.  Moreover,  the  bills  of  the  bank  bore  an  interest, 
and  as  it  was  stipulated  that  they  won  hi  be  of  invariable 
value,  and  as  hints  had  been  adroitly  circulated  that  coin 
would  experience  successive  diminution  in  value,  every 
body  hastened  to  the  bank  to  exchange  gold  and  silver 
for  the  paper  money.  In  a  few  months  the  bank  shares 
arose  enormously,  and  the  amount  jf  its  notes  in  circulation 
exceeded  one  hundred  and  ten  millions  of  livres. 

Ilitlierto  all  had  gone  on  well  enough,  and  all  might 
have  continued  to  go  well,  if  the  paper  system  had  not 
been  further  expanded.  But  Law  had  yet  to  develop  the 
grandest  part  of  his  scheme.  He  hjid  yet  to  disclose  his 
i(U';il  world  of  speculation,  his  El  Dorado  of  unlimited 
wealth.  Ilin  financial  theory  was,  that  the  currency  of  a 
country  is  simply  the  representative  of  its  moving  wealth, 
and  that  this  representative  need  not  possess  any  intrinsic 
vahie,  as  in  the  case  of  gold  and  silver,  but  might  consist 
ot'pa[ter,  or  any  other  8ul)stance  which  can  be  conveniently 
handled.  lie  held  that  while  there  was  no  standard  of 
prices  or  money,  credit  was  every  thing,  and  that  a  state 
might  safely  treat  eveni)ossible  future  }»roHts  as  the  basisof  a 
jiaper  currency.  The  English  had  brought  the  vast  imag- 
inary commerce  of  the  South  Seas  in  aid  of  their  banking 
operations  ;  and  Law  sought  to  bring,  as  a  powerful  auxil- 
iary of  his  bank,  the  whole  trade  of  the  Mississippi  A^alley. 
To  this  end  he  now  produced  his  Mississippi  scheme,  which 
was  to  make  him  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  colonial  an- 
nals of  Louisiana  and  Illinois.  The  prolific  resources  and 
possibilities  of  Louisiana  still  filled  tlie  inniginations  of  tlie 


252         French  Finances,  and  Law's  Mississippi  Co. 

French  people  with  visions  of  boundless  riches.  The  ill- 
success  that  had  there  attended  the  operations  of  Crozat 
and  his  partners  was  not  sufficient  to  dispel  tlie  illusion 
from  the  public  mind,  or  to  beget  therein  more  rational 
views.  The  stories  of  its  vast  mineral  deposits  were  art- 
fully revived ;  ingots  of  gold,  the  products  of  its  supposed 
mines,  were  exhil)ited  at  the  Paris  mint ;  and  the  sanguine 
court  saw  in  the  future  of  that  province  an  empire,  with  its 
fruitful  valleys,  growing  cities,  busy  wharves,  and  exhaust- 
less  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  pouring  its  precious  freights 
into  the  channels  of  French  commerce. 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  charter  of  the  Sieur  Crozat 
was  animlled,  Law  proceeded,  under  letters  patent  from 
the  regent,  to  organize  the  Compagnie  d' Occident,  or  Com- 
pany of  the  West,  which  was  based  upon  the  plan  of  col- 
onizing and  drawing  profits  from  the  French  possessions 
in  North  America.  The  charter  of  the  company  was  reg- 
istered in  the  Parliament  of  Paris  on  the  6th  of  Septembei", 
1717;  and  all  of  the  king's  subjects,  including  cori)onito 
bodies,  and  even  aliens,  were  allowed  to  take  stock  in  it. 
The  capital  was  fixed  at  about  one  hundred  -millions  of 
livres,  divided  into  shares  of  five  hundred  livres  each,  bear- 
ing interest  at  four  per  cent.,  which  Avere  subscribed  for  in 
the  public  securities.  As  the  bank  was  to  co-operate  with 
the  company,  the  regent  issued  an  order  that  its  bills  should 
be  received  the  same  as  coin  in  all  payments  of  the  public 
revenue.  Law  was  made  chief  director  of  the  company, 
which  v/as  copied  after  the  Earl  of  Oxford's  South  Sea 
Company,  originated  in  1711,  and  which  distracted  all 
England  with  the  frenzy  of  speculation. 

Among  the  more  important  privileges  conferred  on  this 
company  by  the  government,  was  the  exclusive  control  of 
the  commerce  of  Louisiana  for  twenty-five  years,  to  begin 
the  1st  of  January,  1718.  All  other  subjects  of  his  majesty 
were  prohibited  from  trading  hither,  under  penalty  of  con- 
fiscation of  their  merchandise  and  vessels;  but  this  was  not 
intended  to  prevent  tlie  colonists  from  trading  with  each 
other,  or  with  the  Indians.  Power  and  authority  were 
also  given  the  company  to  make  treaties  with  the  Indian 


Law's  Credit  System. 


253 


le  ill- 
rozat 
usioii 
tional 
B  art- 
posed 
guine 
itli  its 
luuist- 
eiglits 

Drozat 

:  froiii 
Coni- 

of  col- 

essions 

as  reg- 

;ember, 

rporato 

k  in  it. 

ions  of 

1,  bear- 

\  for  in 
e  with 
siioultl 
pubru' 
upany, 
h  Sea 
0(1  all 

^)n  this 
itrol  of 

begin 
^lajcsty 

)f  con- 

-as  not 

|b  each 

were 

[udiau 


nations,  and  to  wage  war  against  them  in  case  of  aggres- 
sion or  insult ;  to  import  negro  slaves  into  the  province  ;  to 
open  and  work  all  mines,  free  of  duty  ;  to  grant  lands,  even 
allodially ;  lo  cast  cannon,  build  ships  of  war,  raise  and 
equip  troops,  and  to  nominate  the  jtrovincial  officers,  who 
were  to  be  commissioned  by  ths  crown.  In  addition  to  the 
above,  the  regent  promised  the  company  protection  against 
foreign  powers,  and  presented  it  with  all  the  forts,  guns, 
anmiunition,  boats,  and  stores  in  Louisiana,  that  had  been 
surrendered  by  the  Sieur  Crozat.  Nor  was  this  all.  Dur- 
ing the  continuance  of  its  charter,  the  goods  of  the  company 
were  to  be  exempt  from  duty,  and  the  white  inhabitants  ot 
the  province  from  the  payment  of  any  state  tax.* 

The  paper  system  of  Law,  and  his  scheme  ot  coloniza- 
tion, were  earnestly  opposed  by  D'Anguesseau,  the  chan- 
cellor, and  by  the  Duke  de  Noailles,  Minister  of  Finance, 
who  foresaw  the  evils  that  the  system  was  calculated  to  pro- 
duce. Finding  that  they  seriously  interfered  with  his  plans, 
the  regent  dismissed  them  from  office ;  but  the  opposition  of 
the  Parliament  of  Paris  was  not  so  easily  managed,  since 
that  body  aspired  to  an  equal  authority  with  the  regent  in 
the  administration  of  affiiirs.  The  chief  hostility  of  the 
parliament  was  directed  against  Law,  a  foreigner,  a  heretic, 
and  an  adventurer.  So  far  was  this  hostility  carried,  that 
secret  measures  were  taken  to  investigate  his  malversations, 
and  to  collect  evidence  against  him  ;  and  it  was  resolved  in 
parliament  that  should  the  testimony  collected  justify  their 
suspicions,  they  would  have  him  seized  and  arraigned  for 
trial,  and,  if  convicted,  would  hang  him  in  the  court-yard 
of  the  palace.  Receiving  intimation  of  his  threatened  dan- 
ger, Law  took  refuge  in  the  Palais  Royal,  the  residence  of 
the  regent,  and  implored  his  protection.  The  regent  him- 
self was  embarrassed  by  the  sturdy  opposition  of  the  parlia- 
ment, which  contemplated  nothing  less  than  a  decree  re- 
versing his  own  measures  of  finance.  However,  by  assem- 
bling a  board  of  justice,  and  bringing  to  bear  the  absolute 


■'History  of  Louisiana,  by  Francois  Xavier  Martin  (New  Orleans, 
1827),  vol.  I,  pp.  198,  201. 


254  French  Finances^  and  Lew's  Mississippi  Co. 

aiitliority  of  the  king,  he  triumphed  over  parliaiiient  and 
relieved  Law  from  the  dread  of  being  hanged. 

The  credit  system  now  went  on  with  full  sail.  The 
Company  of  the  West,  being  identified  with  the  bank,  rap- 
idly increased  in  power  and  privileges.  One  monopoly 
after  another  was  granted  to  it ;  the  trade  of  the  Indian 
seas,  the  slave  trade  with  Senegal  and  Guinea,  the  farming 
of  tobacco,  the  roja]  coinage,  etc.  Each  nv.w  privilege  was 
made  a  pretext  for  emitting  more  bills,  and  caused  a  pro- 
portionate advance  in  the  prices  of  stock.  At  length,  on 
the  4th  of  December,  1718,  the  regent  gave  the  institution 
the  imposing  title  of  the  Royal  Bank  of  France,  and  pro- 
claimed that  he  had  effected  tlie  purchase  of  all  the  sliares, 
the  jtroceeds  of  which  were  added  to  its  capital.  Arbi- 
trary measures  were  now  l)egun  to  force  the  bills  of  the 
bank  into  artificial  circulation.  On  the  27th  of  December 
an  order  was  made  in  council,  forbidding,  under  severe 
penalties,  the  payment  of  any  sum  above  six  hundred  livres 
in  Id  or  silver.  This  decree  rendered  bank  bills  neces- 
sary in  all  considerable  transactions  of  purchase  jind  sale, 
and  called  for  a  new  emission.  The  prohibition  was  oc- 
casionally evaded  or  opposed,  but  confiscations  were  the 
consequence. 

Tlie  worst  effect  of  this  illusive  system  was  the  mania 
for  gain,  or  for  gambling  in  stocks,  that  now  seized  upon 
the  French  nation.  Under  the  stimulus  of  lying  reports, 
and  the  compulsory  effects  of  government  decrees,  the 
shares  of  the  company  went  on  rising  until  they  reached 
thirteen  hundred  per  cent.  Nothing  was  talked  of  but  the 
prices  of  shares,  and  the  immense  fortunes  suddenly  nuide 
by  lucky  speculators.  The  most  extravagant  dreams  Avere 
indulged  concerning  the  wealth  that  was  to  flow  in  upon 
the  company  from  its  colonies,  its  trade,  and  its  various 
monopolies.  To  doubt  of  these  things  was  to  excite  anger, 
or  incur  ridicule.  And  in  a  time  of  puldic  infatuation,  it 
requires  no  small  exercise  of  courage  to  doubt  a  popular 
fallacy. 

Paris  now  became  the  center  of  attractioi\  for  the  ad- 
venturous and   avaricious,   who   flocked  thaher  not  only 


The  Mnihafor  Speculation. 


255 


t  and 

The 
:,  rap- 
opoly 
udian 
rming 
re  was 
a  pro- 
^tli,  on 
itutiou 
(1  pro- 
Bliares, 

Arbi- 

of  the 
cember 

severe 
d  livres 
i,  neces- 
id  sale, 

as  oc- 

ve  the 

mania 
d  upon 
reports, 
^^es,  the 
-cached 
but  the 
V  nuide 
US  "Were 

u  upon 

I  various 

anger, 

lition,  it 

[popular 

tl\c  ad- 
|>t  only 


from  the  provinces,  but  from  the  neighboring  countries. 
A  stock  exchange  was  e8tal)lislied  in  u  liotel  on  one  of  tlie 
principal  streets,*  and  immediately  becamr»  the  resort  of 
stock  jobbers  and  (*i»eculator8.  Guards  were  stationed  at 
either  end  of  the  avenue  to  maintain  order,  and  to  exclude 
liorse  and  carriages.  The  whole  street  swarmeti  through- 
out the  day  like  a  b<e-hive.  Bargains  of  all  kinds  were 
struck  with  avidity.  Shuns  of  stock  passed  from  hand  to 
hand,  mounting  in  value,  one  knew  not  why.  Fortunes 
were  made  in  a  moment,  as  if  by  magic,  and  every  lucky 
bargain  prompted  tliose  around  to  a  more  desperate  throw 
of  the  dii'. 

To  ingulf  all  classes  in  this  ruinous  vortex,  Law  di- 
vided the  shares  of  tiftv  millions  of  stock  into  one  hundred 
shares  each,  thus  accommodating  the  venture  to  the  hum- 
blest purse.  Society  was  thus  stirred  to  its  very  dregs,  and 
people  of  the  lowest  order  hurried  to  the  stock  market  to 
invest  their  small  savings.  All  honest,  industrious  pur- 
suits, and  moch^rate  gains  were  now  despise<l.  The  u}>per 
classes  were  as  base  in  their  venality  as  tlie  lower.  The 
highest  nobles,  abandoning  all  generous  pursuits  an<l  lofty 
aims,  engaged  in  the  vile  scuffle  for  gain.  Even  prelates 
and  ecclesiastical  bodies,  forgetting  their  true  o])jects  of  de- 
votion, mingled  among  the  votaries  of  Manmion.  The 
female  sex  likewise  participated  in  the  sordid  frenzy.  Prin- 
cesses of  the  blood,  and  ladies  of  the  first  nobility  were 
among  the  most  rapacious  of  stock-jol)bcrs.  Meanwhile, 
luxury  and  extravagance  kept  pace  with  this  sudden  inila- 
tion  of  fancied  wealth,  and  a  general  laxity  of  morals  was 
diffused  throughout  society. 

Law  went  about  with  a  countenance  beaming  with 
satisfaction,  and  apparently  dispensing  wealth  on  every 
hand.  Even  his  domestics  were  enriched  bv  tlie  crumbs 
that  fell  from  his  table.  Wherever  he  went  his  path  was 
beset  by  a  base  throng,  who  waited  to  see  him  juiss,  and 
sought  the  favor  of  a  word  or  a  smile,  as  if  a  mere  glance 
from  him  would  bestow  a  fortune.     The  same  venal  atten- 


*  It  was  afterward  reiuuved  to  the  Place  Vendome. 


256  French  Finances,  and  Laivs  Mississippi  Co. 


tion  was  paid  by  all  classes  to  his  family.  The  highest 
born  ladies  of  the  court  vied  with  each  other  in  meanness 
to  secure  the  lucrative  friendship  of  Mrs.  Law  and  her 
daughter.  The  w^e^dth  of  the  banker  rapidly  increased 
with  the  expansion  of  the  bubble.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
months  he  purchased  some  fourteen  titled  estates,  paying 
for  them  in  paper  money;  and  the  unthinking  public 
hailed  these  vast  acquisitions  of  landed  property  as  so 
many  proofs  of  the  soundness  of  his  system. 

The  illusory  credit  continued  its  course  triumphantly 
for  eighteen  months.  Law  had  nearly  fulfilled  one  of  his 
promises,  viz.,  to  pay  oft"  the  public  debt ;  but  it  was  paid 
in  bank  shares,  which  had  been  inflated  several  hundred 
per  cent  above  their  real  value,  and  which  were  shortly  to 
vanish  like  smoke  in  the  hands  of  the  holders. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1719,  the  Mississippi 
scheme  had  reached  its  culmination.  i!^early  half  a  million 
of  strangers  had  crowded  into  Paris,  in  quest  of  fortune. 
The  hotels  and  boarding  houses  were  overflowing;  lodgings 
were  procured  with  great  difficulty ;  granaries  were  turned 
into  bed-rooms;  splendid  houses  were  multiplying  on  every 
side ;  and  the  streets  w^ere  thronged  with  new  and  costly 
equipages. 

On  the  11th  of  December,  Law  obtained  another  pro- 
hibitory decree,  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  all  the  remain- 
ing specie  in  circulation  into  the  bank.  By  this  it  was  for- 
bidden to  make  any  payment  in  silver  above  ten  livres,  or 
in  gold  above  three  hundred.  The  repetition  of  decrees  of 
this  nature,  the  object  of  which  was  to  depreciate  the  value 
of  coin  and  increase  that  of  paper,  awakened  distrust  of  a 
system  which  required  such  bolstering.  Sound  financiers 
conferred  together,  and  agreed  to  make  common  cause 
against  this  continual  expansion  of  the  paper  system.  The 
shares  of  the  bank  and  of  the  company  began  to  decline  in 
value.  Wary  speculators  took  the  alarm,  and  began  to 
realize ;  a  term  now  first  brought  into  use,  it  is  said,  to  sig- 
nify the  conversion  of  ideal  property  into  something  real. 

The  regent,  discerning  these  signs  of  decay  in  the  sys- 
tem, sought  to  sustain  it  by  bestowing  oflice  upon  its  au- 


Edicts  of  the  Regent. 


257 


thor.  Accordingly,  in  .lanuiiry,  1720,  he  appointed  Law 
to  be  comptroller-general  of  the  linances.  But  before  his 
appointment,  the  banker  had  to  abjure  his  Protestant 
faith  and  take  out  letters  of  naturalization, — a  feat  of  uo 
great  difficulty  with  him. 

In  February  following,  a  decree  was  published  in  tlie 
king's  name  uniting  the  Royal  Bank  to  the  India  Com- 
pany, by  which  last  appellation  the  whole  establishment 
was  subsequently  known.  By  this  time,  the  bank  is  said 
to  have  issued  notes  to  the  amount  of  one  thousand  mil- 
lions of  livres ;  being  more  paper  than  all  the  other  banks 
of  Europe  were  able  to  circulate.  Various  compulsory 
measures  were  now  adopted,  which  gave  a  temporary 
credit  to  the  bank ;  but  with  all  these  props  and  stays, 
the  system  continued  to  totter.  On  the  22d  of  May  a  royal 
edict  was  issued,  in  which,  under  pretense  of  having  re- 
duced the  value  of  his  coin,  it  was  deemed  necessary  to 
reduce  the  value  of  his  bank  notes  one-half,  and  of  the 
India  shares  from  nine  thousand  to  five  thousand  livres. 
On  the  27th  this  oppressive  edict  was  revoked,  and  bank 
bills  were  restored  to  their  former  value.  But  the  fatal 
blow  had  at  length  been  struck ;  the  delusion  was  at  an 
end  ;  and  specie  payments,  except  in  small  sums,  were  sus- 
pended by  the  bank. 

To  avert  popular  odium  from  himself,  the  regent,  on 
on  the  29th  of  May,  dismissed  Law  from  the  office  of 
comptroller-general,  and  stationed  a  Swiss  guard  in  his 
house  to  protect  him  from  the  anger  of  the  populace. 
But  he  continued,  in  private,  to  co-operate  with  him  in 
his  financial  schemes.  A  general  confusion  now  took 
place  in  all  financial  aftairs ;  and  execrations  were  poured 
out  on  all  sides  against  the  unfortunate  banker. 

About  the  middle  of  July  the  last  grand  efibrt  was 
made  by  Law  and  the  regent  to  keep  up  the  system,  and 
provide  for  the  enormous  issue  of  paper.  A  decree  was 
formulated,  giving  the  India  Company  the  entire  monopoly 
of  commerce,  on  condition  that  it  would  in  the  course  of 
a  year  reimburse  six  hundred  millions  of  livres  of  its  bills, 
17 


I  i 


I 


258         French  Finances,  and  Lavfs  Mississippi  Co. 


#1 


at  a  fixed  rate  per  montli.  On  the  17th,  when  this  decree 
was  sent  to  Parliament  to  be  registered,  it  raised  a  storm 
of  opposition  in  that  assembly,  and  a  vehement  discussion 
ensued.  In  the  forenoon  of  that  day,  several  persons 
were  stifled  in  the  crowd  at  the  door  of  the  bank,  where 
they  had  gone  to  change  ten  franc  notes  for  specie  to  buy 
provisions  in  the  market.  During  the  same  day  Law 
ventured  to  go  in  his  carriage  to  the  Palais  Royal.  But 
iH  he  passed  along  the  streets,  he  was  saluted  with  cries 
and  curses,  and  reached  the  palace  in  a  terrible  fright.  The 
regent,  whose  nerves  were  stronger,  amused  himself  with 
his  fears,  but  kept  him  there  and  sent  away  his  carriage, 
which  was  assailed  by  the  mob  and  pelted  with  stones  un- 
til its  glasses  were  shivered. 

In  December,  1720,  John  Law  finally  quit  Paris 
and  France,  traveling  in  a  private  conveyance  of  the 
regent.  When  he  was  fairly  out  of  the  way,  a  council  of 
the  regency  was  summoned  to  deliberate  on  the  state  of 
the  finances  and  the  affairs  of  the  India  Company.  It  was 
then  ascertaiiied  that  bank  bills  were  in  circulation  to  the 
enormous  amount  of  two  milliards  and  seven  hundred  mil- 
lions of  livres,  while  the  specie  remaining  in  the  kingdom 
was  estimated  at  not  more  than  thirteen  hundred  millions 
of  livres. 

Wlien  Law  left  Paris,  lie  took  with  him  only  eight 
iiundred  louis  d'or,  and  a  few  personal  effects.  The  chief 
relic  of  his  immense  fortune  was  a  big  diamond,  which,  it 
it  is  said,  he  was  often  obliged  to  pawn.  Ilis  furniture  and 
library  were  sold  by  auction  at  a  low  price,  and  his  landed 
estates  were  confiscate*!  to  the  government.  In  October, 
1721,  he  went  to  England,  and  was  presented  at  court  to 
his  nuijesty  George  I.  lleturning  again  to  the  continent, 
he  led  an  adventurous  life,  shifting  about  from  i»laco  to 
place,  lie  received  from  France  an  lUiiiual  [)ension  of 
tv/enty  tlioiisund  livres  until  the  death  of  the  Duke  of  Or- 
leans in  172-),  atid  down  to  that  time  entertained  hopes  of 
nrranging  a  sottlen:  Mit  of  his  accounts  with  the  French 
India  Company,  to  which  he  was  heavily  indebted.  I3y  de- 
grees, however,  he  sunk  into  obscurity,  and  finally  died  in 


ecree 
itorm 
ssion 
rsons 
yhere 

0  buy 
Law 

But 

1  cries 
.  The 
f  with 
rriage, 
les  uu- 

Parifl 
of  the 

iiicil  of 
state  of 

It  was 
11  to  the 
■cd  n\\\- 
lingdom 

iiillious 


End  of  Law's  Career. 


259 


poverty  in  Venice,  March  21,  1729,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight 
years. 

It  is  now  generally  conceded  that  John  Law  was  a 
very  ingenious  calculator,  a  sincere  believer  in  his  own 
monetary  theory,  :i?id  the  founder  to  some  extent  of  the 
modern  system  of  banking.  The  evil  genius  of  liia  sys- 
tem appears  to  have  been  the  regent,  who  in  a  manner 
forced  him  on  to  an  expansion  of  his  paper  currency  far 
bo3'ond  what  he  had  originally  contemplated.  "  Law  was 
like  a  poor  conjuror  in  the  hands  of  a  potent  spirit  that  he 
had  evoked.  lie  only  thought  at  the  outset  to  raise  the 
wind,  but  the  regent  compelled  him  to  raise  the  whirl- 
wind." * 

"  Works  on  Law  and  his  system  are  numerous,"  saya 
the  American  Enc^'lopodia  (X.,  p.  218) ;  "  but  it  is  only 
within  the  present  century  that  justice  has,  to  any  degree, 
hcen  done  to  the  extraordinary  talents  of  \v^hich  he  was 
really  possessed." 

The  unsound  financiering  and  mania  for  speculation, 
originating  with  and  fostered  by  the  great  "  projector," 
proved  most  disastrous  to  the  nuiteria!  and  moral  welfare 
of  France;  yet  a  great  impetus  was  given  to  the  settle- 
ment of  Louisiana  through  the  ag'jncy  of  his  Company 
of  the  West,  which,  ui  der  d.Hvjrent  names  and  auspices, 
was  continued  for  fifteen  years.  The  first  efforts  of  the 
company  at  colonizing  the  new  province  were  upon  a  large 
scale ;  indeed,  extraordinary  measures  were  adopted  for 
this  purpose.  A  royal  edict  was  issued,  authorizing  the 
collection  and  transportation  of  settlers  to  the  Mississippi, 
under  which  the  streets  and  prisons  of  ]*aris  and  otiier 
cities  were  swept  of  their  mendicants  and  vagabonds. 
These  unwilling  colonists  were  cotivcycd  to  the  seaport  of 
Uochelle,  and,  with  implements  of  all  kinds  for  the  work- 
ing of  mines,  wore  crowded  on  board  of  ships,  and  sent  to 
Louisiana. 


*  See  the  admirablo  oHsiiy,  entitled  Thr  Mimmppl  Bubhlf,  in  the 
"Crayon  PapcrH,"  by  Wusliinnton  irvinw,  from  v.hich  tlu>  foregoing 
sketch  of  Law's  puraoaal  canei  is  chictly  coudeuBev.. 


^^mi^^^iMM^ 


lasBBE— 


260 


Louisiana  under  Laws'  Company. 


On  the  9th  February,  1718,  three  ships,  of  the  West- 
ern Company— the  Dauphine,  the  Vigilante  and  the  Nep- 
tune  arrived  at  Baupliin  IsUmd  to  take  possession  of  Lou- 
isiana. After  discharging  their  cargoes,  these  vessels 
sailed  on  their  return  to  France ;  and  on  the  8th  of  March 
two  frigates,  the  Duchesse  de  Noailles  and  the  Victoire,  ca«t 
anchor  at  Ship  Island.*  By  the  iirst  named  frigate  came 
Pierre  Duque  de  Boisbriant,  a  Frencli-Canadian,  who  had 
received  the  appointment  of  king's  lieutenantf  of  the 
province,  and  who  was  the  bearer  of  a  commission  appoint- 
ing his  cousin,  Bienville,  governor  and  commandant-gen- 
eral, in  place  of  M.  L'Epinay  removed.  Besides  the  of- 
ofiicers  and  the  soldiers  belonging  to  the  company,  these 
di^'crent  vessels  brought  out  about  six  hundred  colonists, 
who  were  intended  to  settle  the  various  concessions  or  land 
grants  thrt  had  been  nuulo  to  persons  of  prominence,  as 
inducemcLts  to  immigration.  The  new  colonists  were  of 
different  ages,  sexes  and  conditions,  but  mostly  belongcii 
to  the  poor  and  i,?j:norant  class,  yome  of  them  perished 
from  the  huk  of  thiift  and  enterprise;  some  from  impru- 
dence and  the  diseases  incident  to  the  climate;  while 
others  lived  and  prospered  by  their  own  energy  and  in- 
dustry. 

In  October,  of  that  year  (1718),  Bernard  de  la  llarpo, 
one  of  the  leading  spirits  of  the  province,  at  this  period, 
started  to  take  possession  of  a  grant  or  c:)ncession  of  land 
that  had  been  made  to  him  on  the  upper  waters  of  Ked 
River.  With  a  party  of  fifty  Frenchmen,  in  two  boats  and 
three  pirogues,  lie  j>ushed  up  that  stream  to  the  >»'atclii- 
toches,  where  he  found  M.  Blondel  in  command  of  the 
French  fort,  Hien  recently  erected  there,  and  on  the  island 
near  by  were  about  two  hundretl  Indians,  belonging  to 
the  Matchitochcs,  Dulciiioes  and  Yatasse  tribes.  Lallarpo 
thence  continued  to  as*  end  the  river  until  he  reached  the 
nation  of  tlic  Nassonis,  whose  villages  were  locate«l  from 
seventy  to  eiglity  leagues  above  the  Natchitoches.     Upon 

iF French's  "HiHtorical  Collections  nf   La."     New  Serit's  (N.   Y., 
18(M>),  I».  I'l'»;  iiIh"  vol.  II,  First  SericB,  p.  (iO. 

t TliHt  IB  liiiiirnanl  da  roi,  or  lienttuiant-governor. 


Adventures  of  La  ffarpe. 


2(31 


f  the  West- 
d  the  Nep- 
jion  of  Lou- 
lese    vessels 
th  of  March 
/ictoire,  cast 
frigate  came 
an,  who  had 
untt    of    the 
sion  appoint- 
luuuhmt-gen- 
;sklos  the  of- 
.mpauy,  these 
rod  colonists, 
ssioiis  or  land 
roiuinence,  as 
onists  were   of 
)stly  helongc'i 
thelu  perished 
P  from  imprn- 
limatc ;    wliile 
nergy  and  in- 

de  la  Harpo, 
vt  this  period, 
'Sfiion  of  land 
waters  of  Ked 
two  hoats  and 
to  the  ^atchi- 
nmand  of  the 
1  on  tlie  island 
,  belonging  to 
bes.     Lallarpo 
10  reached  the 
0  located  from 
itoches.     T^l»»'^ 

sv  8erU'B  (N.  "^  , 


his  arrival  thither,  he  at  first  employed  his  men  in  coli- 
structing  a  block-house  for  their  use  and  tlio  storage  of  his 
goods,  in  which  labor  they  had  the  friendly  assistance  of 
the  Nassonis.  From  this  point  of  vantage,  ho  cd'torward 
attempted  to  open  a  trade  with  the  S[)aniards  in  Now  Mex- 
ico, and  also  explored  the  wide  range  of  country  between 
Red  Rivor  and  the  Fppor  Arkansas.  Agreeably  to  his  own 
narrative,  he  ascended  the  Arkansas,  or  one  of  its  con- 
stituent branches,  to  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mouiitaina, 
and  there  found  several  tribes  living  together  III  o?io  large 
village.  In  pursuance  of  the  usual  French  policy,  ho  mode 
himself  well  acquainted  with  the  different  Indian  nations 
iidiabiting  tiiose  wild  and  hitherto  unviHited  regions,  and 
formed  amicable  relations  with  several  of  them.  IIIh 
printed  journal  of  his  voyage  and  illHcoveries  is  charac- 
terized by  simplicity  of  stylo  and  ea^y  credulity,  but  it  is 
none  the  less  entertaining,  and  '"iitaiiiH,  withal,  much  use- 
ful information  respecting  tiie  aborigines  whom  he  vis- 
ited.* It  was  not  until  tije  end  of  the  year  1710  that 
La  Uarpe  rotiUHied  to  the  head-quarters  of  (Jovernor  Bieii- 
ville. 

BVom  the  beginning  of  operations  by  the  Western 
Conutanv  in  Louisia/ia.  the  directors  thereof  had  evinced 
much  anxiety  for  the  occupation  of  the  (iulf  coast,  west 
of  the  rivei  Sabine,  with  a  colony.  But  Governor  Bien- 
ville, believing  in  the  [Kjlicy  of  concentrating  the  settle- 
ments near  the  Mississippi,  ha<l  doc)i;*ed  sending  colonists 
to  that  remote  quarter,  wlien;  they  wcMild  b<  exposed  to  the 
Rttacks  of  both  the  Indians  and  Spaniards.  At  length,  in 
August,  1721,  under  sj)Ocial  instructions  li-om  the  direct- 
ors, he  iHsuod  the  following  official  order,  addressed  to  La 
llaipo,  for  tlio  cstablirthnient  of  a  post  near  the  Bay  of  St. 
Bernard,  or  Matagorda  : 

"  We,  Joan  Ba[>tisto  do  Bienville,  chevalier  of  the  mil- 

*  Vide  "  Journal  dti  voyage  df  ht  hiuiti(tM,faU  par  U  S'r  liernnrd  de  la 
Hnrpi',  it  dt'»  drroKirrliit  ijii'  if  n  Jiiil>»  dan  la  pnrtii'  de  //  micHt  de  relle  colo- 
nic," from  the  year  l7IHto  1722,  IncluHive ;  priutod  in  tbo  "Historical 
('olii'ctionB  "  of  l^ouisiantt. 


2G2 


Louisiana  under  Law's  Company. 


itary  order  of  St.  Louis,  and  commandant-general  for  the 
kin<^  in  the  Province  of  Louisiana: 

"  It  is  hereby  decreed  that  M.  de  la  Harpe,  command- 
ant of  the  Bay  of  St.  Bernard,  shall  embark  in  the  packet, 
'  Subtile,'  commanded  by  Beranger,  with  a  detachment  of 
twenty  soldiers,  under  Belile,  and  shall  proceed  forthwith 
to  the  Bay  of  St.  Bernard,  belonging  to  this  province,  and 
take  possession  in  the  name  of  the  king  and  the  Western 
Compan}' ;  shall  plant  the  arms  of  the  king  in  the  ground, 
and  build  a  fort.u[»on  whatsoever  spot  appears  most  advan- 
tageous for  the  defense  of  the  place. 

"  If  the  Spaniards  or  any  other  nation  have  taken  pos- 
session, M.  de  la  Ilarpe  will  signify  to  them  that  they  have 
no  right  to  the  country,  it  being  known  that  possession 
was  taken  in  1(385  by  M.  de  la  Salle,  in  the  name  of  the 
King  of  France,  etc.  "  Bienville." 

"August  10,  1721."  * 


Pursuant  to  this  order.  La  Ilarpe  sailed  shortly  after 
uj)on  his  doubtful  ''  •.  .^^rise;  but  on  arriving  at  the  bay 
he  found  r.o  safe  liarbor,  and  owing  to  the  opposition  man- 
ifested l)y  the  natives  on  its  shores  (who  were  partly  iu- 
Huenced  by  the  S})aniardsin  Mexico),  he  built  no  fort  there. 
Mindful,  indeed  of  the  fate  of  La  Salle's  colony,  and  un- 
willing to  expose  his  own  men  to  savage  massacre,  he  re- 
turned to  Daujihin  Island  early  in  the  following  Octobcr,f 
und  the  enterprise  was  thereafter  abandoned. 

In  1719  the  directors  of  the  company  sent  out  for  pub- 
lication in  the  province  of  Louisiana  a  proclamation  and 
schedule,  fixing  the  prices  at  which  goods  and  merchandise 
were  to  be  obtained  in  the  company's  stores  at  Dauphin  Is- 
land, Mobile,  and  Bilexi.  To  these  prices  an  advance  of 
live  per  centum  was  to  be  added  to  goods  delivered  at  New 
Orleans ;  ten  per  cent,  at  Natchez ;  thirteen  ut  Yazous ; 
twenty  at  Natdiitoches,  and   fifty  at  tlie  Illinois  and  on  the 

*  Monettc's  "  Valley  of  the  MiHHiHHippi,"  vol.  1,  p.  235. 
tThe  town  ( f  La  Harpo,  in  Hancock  f-ounty,  III.,  appears  to  liav« 
been  so  naiuo  1  i:-  memory  of  this  v^r-::'  J  •-  !•  'tnan. 


Bienville  Founds  New  Orleans. 


263 


r  the 

laud- 
icket, 
3nt  of 
tiwith 
3,  and 
estern 
round, 
ulvan- 

m  pos- 

V  have 

session 

of  the 

LLE." 


ly  after 
the  bay 
)n  man- 
[ivtly  in- 

t  there. 
Iind  un- 

,  he  rc- 
lt:t<)ber,t 


ItH  to  hav« 


Missouri.  Tlie  commodities  of  the  country  were  to  be  re- 
ceived at  the  company's  warehouses  in  Mobile,  Biloxi,  Ship 
Island,  and  New  Orleans,  at  the  rates  following,  viz  :  Silk, 
of  which  very  little  was  produced,  from  one  dollar  and 
iifty  cents  to  two  dollars  the  pound ;  tobacco,  of  the  beat 
kind,  five  dollars  the  hundred ;  rice,  four  dollars ;  super- 
fine flour  three  dollars  ;  wheat,  two  dollars  ;  barley  and  oats 
ninety  cents  the  hundred  ;  deer-skins  from  fifteen  to  twenty- 
five  cents  ;  dressed,  without  head  or  tail,  thirty  cents  ;  hides 
eight  cents  per  pound.-^ 

No  sooner  had  M.  de  Bienville  superseded  L'Epinay 
as  governor  of  Louisiana,  in  1718,  than  he  revived  his 
scheme  for  transferring  the  seat  of  government  (»f  the 
province  from  the  sterile  sands  of  the  Gulf  coast  to  the  al- 
luvial banks  of  the  Mississippi.  Having  already  selected 
a  site  for  the  new  capital,  he  now  sent  the  Sieur  de 
la  Tour,  chief  engineer  of  the  colony,  with  a  for(;e  of 
eighty  convicts  (lately  arrived  from  the  prisons  of  France), 
to  clear  a  strip  of  land  along  the  river,  and  trace  out  the 
plan  of  the  town.  The  settlement  thus  begun  here  was 
named  Noavcaa.  Orleans,  in  honor  to  the  Duke  of  Orleans, 
then  prince  regent  oi'  France.  But  M.  Hubert,  commis- 
sary of  the  colony  and  Company  of  the  West,  refused  to 
transfer  the  offices  ana  warehouses  of  the  company  from 
Mobile  and  Daupliin  Isjund,  vhich  were  more  accessible  to 
vessels  from  the  sea.  For  this  reason,  New  Orleans  was 
maintained  for  several  years  onlv  as  a  small  military  and 
trading  [»ost.  In  1720  La  Tour  surveyed  the  mouths  or 
passes  of  the  Mississi})[)i,  and  reported  that  New  Orleans 
might  be  made  a  connuercial  port.  At  this  time  it  was  a 
collection  of  less  than  one  hundred  palisade  cabin.'!,  built  of 
cypress  wood  on  low,  nudarious  ground,  subject  to  inun- 
dations, and  surrounded  by  a  forest  or  thicket  of  willows, 
canes,  and  dwarf  palmettos.  In  .lanuary,  1722,  the  town 
vvas  visited  by  Father  Clmrlevoix,  who  thus  recorded  hie 
inntressions  of  the  place  : 

"  Tlie  environs  of  New  Orlans  have   nothing  very  re- 

t  Martin's  liiHtury  of  Louieiana,  vol.  1,  page.  219. 


264 


Louisiana  under  Law's  Company. 


markahle.  I  did  not  find  this  city  so  well  situated  as  I  had 
been  told  ;  otliers  are  not  'f  the  same  opinion."  Again,  he 
writes  :  ''  I  have  nothing  'o  add  to  what  I  said  in  the  be- 
ginning of  my  former  letter  concerning  the  present  state 
of  New  Orleans.  The  truestidea  that  voucanform  of  it  is  to 
represent  to  yourself  two  hundred  persons  that  are  sent  to 
build  a  city,  and  who  are  encamped  on  the  side  of  a  great 
river,  where  they  have  thought  of  nothing  but  to  shelter 
themselves  from  the  air,  while  they  wait  for  a  plan,  and 
have  built  themselves  some  houses.  M.  dePauger,*  whom 
I  have  still  the  honor  to  accompany,  has  just  shown  me  one 
of  his  drawings.  It  is  very  fine  and  very  regular,  but  it 
will  not  be  so  easy  to  execute  it  as  to  trace  it  on  paper."  f 

The  Mobile  and  Alabama  Rivers  had  formed  a  favorite 
line  of  communication  with  the  northern  interior,  and  from 
its  closer  connection  with  the  sea.,  Fort  Louis  on  the  Mo- 
bile remaiiied  a  principal  post ;  but  in  August,  1723,  the 
ofileial  quarters  of  Bienville  were  removed  to  l^ew  Orleans, 
and  its  destiny  Avas  fixed.  Thus  the  central  point  of  French 
power  in  Louisiana,  after  hovering  for  over  twenty  years 
round  Ship  and  I3au]ihin  Islands,  and  the  bays  of  Biloxi 
and  Mobile,  was  at  last  permanently  established  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  southern  colonists  began 
to  gather  in  settlements  along  that  great  river,  so  as  to  bo 
within  easy  reach  of  the  rising  capital.  Although  many  of 
the  French  doubted  the  wisdom  <>r  propriety  of  Bienville's 
conduct  in  thus  changing  the  seat  of  government,  yet  time 
has  amply  demonstrated  the  clearness  of  his  foresight,  and 
the  sounciness  of  his  judgment  in  this  important  action. 

From  a  mere  provincial  head-(puirter8  and  central  depot 
for  the  commercial  transactions  of  a  single  company.  New 
Orleans  has  since  progressively  grown  to  be  the  great  em- 
porium of  the  Lower  Mississippi  Valley,  the  recipient  of 
the  trade  of  some  fifteen  thousand  miles  of  river  miviga- 
tiou,  to  say  nothing  of  her  extensive  railway  connections, 


*De  f^ug^r  WHH  second  or  assistant  (>ngin«er  of  the  colony;  and  in 
1722  he  established  the  little  post  called  Balize,  at  the  south  pass  of  tlio 
Mississippi. 

'   '  Jouinal  of  Travels  i!i  Nortli  America,"  pp.  332,  334. 


The  Province  Divided  into  Districts. 


265 


3,  the 

rloiuia, 

^  yeavB 
Biloxi 
)n  the 
Ijegau 
B  U)  be 
any  ot 
Uo'8 
t  time 
it,  and 
en. 

'  depot 

,',  New 

at  eni- 

,cnt  of 

aviga- 

rtions, 

;  and  in 
Lrt  of  tbo 


and  the  busy  port  where  the  ships  and  merchants  of  all 
nations  do  congregate. 

Even  at  that  early  day  her  rare  commercial  advantages, 
present  and  prospective,  were  well  understood  on  the  Paris 
Bourse.  Yet,  all  around  the  nascent  city,  was  then  a  mat- 
ted and  marshy  forest,  "calculated  by  its  dreariness  and 
solitude  to  inspire  far  other  thoughts  tl;au  those  of  com- 
merce, empire,  wealth,  and  power." 

At  or  before  this  time  (1723),  the  Province  of  Louisi- 
ana was  divided  for  civil  and  military  purposes  into  nine 
districts,  each  of  which  was  placed  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  a  separate  commandant.  These  military  districts  were 
named  as  follows :  (1)  Alibamons,*  (2)  Mobile,  (3)  Biloxi, 
(4)  New  Orleans,  (5)  Natchez,  (6)  Yazoux,  (7)  Illinois  and 
Wabash,  (8)  Arkansas,  (9)  Natchitoches.  The  province  was 
also  divided  into  three  ecclesiastical  districts. 

We  nmst  now  revert  to  the  war  which  broke  out  in 
1719  between  France  and  Spain,  and  wliich  extended  to 
their  American  colonies.  On  the  19th  of  April  in  that  year 
two  ships  arrived  from  France,  bringing  out  some  colonists, 
and  an  abu'ulant  supply  of  provisions  and  ammunition. 
By  these  vessels,  Governor  Bienville  received  letters  from 
the  court  informing  him  that  war  iuid  been  declared  in 
Europe  between  France  and  Spain.  TIk^  governor  tiiere- 
upon  callud  a  council  ol'  his  nllhtM'H,  at  uhidi  it  vvi|8  (je- 
terniined  to  \\\\\\n\  an  ill  I  in  h  on  Fort  Pen8a(!ola,  bef(»h>  ijie 
Spanish  garrison  there  could  be  reinforced.  For  this  expe- 
dition he  assenmled  his  regular  troops,  together  with  some 
Canadians  and  Indians,  mid  [>ut  them  under  the  command  of 
Captain  de  Ohatoaugue,  his  brother,  and  Captain  de  liiclie- 
hourg.  Embarking  his  little  army  in  three  vessels,  the 
commander  sailed  early  in  May  to  Santa  Rosa  Island,  where 
the  Spaniards  had  an  outpost.  This  the  French  seized 
without  opposition,  and  then  advanced  u])on  I*ensacola, 
which  they  invested  and  took  by  surprise;  for  the  Spanish 
commandant  claimed  that  ho  was  not  aware  of  the  exist- 


*T1u>  district  of  the  Alilnimoua  lay  between  tli»'  riv«ti»  AlalMHAA 
and  Toinbigboe. 


266 


Louisiana  under  Law's  Company. 


ence  of  war  between  the  two  nations.  Having  made  him- 
self master  of  Pensaeola,  Bienville  sent  the  prisoners  he 
had  taken  in  a  vessel  with  some  troops,  commanded  by 
Captain  de  Richebourg,  to  Havana.  He  then  left  his 
brother,  Chateaugue,  in  command  of  Fort  Pensaeola,  with 
a  garrison  of  sixty  men,  and  returned  to  Dauphin  Island. 

The  French,  however,  were  soon  compelled  to  relin- 
quish their  conquest.  On  the  5th  of  August  two  Spanish 
vessels  arrived  from  Havana  before  Pensaeola,  and  sum- 
moned the  commandant  to  surrender.  This  being  refused, 
a  brisk  cannonade  began  on  both  sides,  and  was  continued 
until  night.  On  the  next  day  the  Spaniards  again  sent  a 
summons  to  Chateaugue  to  surrender.  He  asked  f\)ur  days 
time  to  consider  the  matter,  and  was  allowed  two,  during 
which  he  sent  by  land  to  Dauphin  Island  for  assistance. 
Unfortunately,  Bienville  was  not  then  in  a  position  to  af- 
ford him  any  aid,  and  the  attack  was  renewed.  Captain 
Chateaugue  defended  the  fort  as  long  as  he  could,  but  be- 
ing deserted  by  a  part  of  his  garrison,  he  was  obliged  to 
ca},)itulate,  when  he  was  sent  a  prisoner  to  Ilavanji.  The 
Spanish  commandant  was  now  reinstated,  and  immediately 
set  to  work  to  n^pairthe  injuries  done  by  the  cannonading; 
and  in  order  to  strengthen  the  defenses  of  the  place,  he 
erected  a  little  fort  on  the  Isle  of  Santa  Rosa. 

Soon  after  this  the  Spanish  commander  of  Pensaeola 
dispatched  a  large  bateau,  armed  with  six  pieces  of  cannon, 
to  harass  the  French  establiHhment  on  Dauphin  Island.  The 
bateau  being  joined  by  another  armed  vessel,  they  opened 
a  sharp  tire  upon  tiie  island,  which  was  stoutly  returiiiMl 
by  the  French  ship,  Philip,  and  a  battery  on  shore.  After 
bornl)iirding  the  island  several  days,  and  nutking  various 
ineifectual  aH<nii»ts  to  land  llirir  forces,  the  Spanish  vessels 
were  compelled  to  vvitlidraw,  their  dei»arture  l)eing  hastened 
by  tlie  unex])ecte(l  appearance  of  u  l*'ren<']i  squadron  of  five 
vessels,  commanded  by  M.  de  (■hampmeslin. 

This  Hcet  arrived  before  D  iu})hin  Islam!  on  the  Jst  of 
Septendjcr,  1711),  anti  brought  out  about  eight  hundred  peo- 
ple, comprising  officers,  soldiers,  and  colonists,  for  TjoiiIb- 
iuiiu.     A  eoiMH'il  of  \\^\-  \m\\^  he|»j,  ||  W|fB  tjee|i|m)  to  re- 


2'he  Capture  of  Pensacola. 


267 


11  m- 
5  he 
L  by 
his 
with 
id. 

■elin- 
auish 
sum- 
'used, 
inucd 
leut  a 
V  days 
luring 
itiince. 
to  af- 
aptain 
•ut  be- 
ged  to 
!■     The 
diately 
ading ; 
aee,  he 


take  Pensacola,  and  rescue  the  French  sohliers  who  had 
been  taken  prisoners  by  the  Spaniards.  Accordingly,  on 
the  7th  of  September,  the  entire  fleet,  with  the  exception 
of  one  vessel  set  sail  for  Pensacola.  The  French  and  Cana- 
dian troops,  from  Dauphin  Island,  who  formed  a  little  urmy 
by  themselves,  commanded  by  the  Sieur  de  St.  Denis,  were 
debarked  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Perdido,  to  attack 
the  large  fort  by  land,  while  the  8(piadron  held  on  its  way. 
No  sooner  had  the  French  ships  of  war  entered  and  come 
to  anchor  within  the  liarbor  at  Pensacola,  than  they  opened 
fire  upon  the  Spanish  forts  and  vessels.  After  a  fierce  can- 
nonade of  two  or  three  liours,  the  Spaniards,  numl^ering 
about  twelve  hundred,  surrendered,  and  were  made  prison- 
ers of  w^ar.  Among  them  were  found  forty  French  de- 
serters, twenty  of  whom  weic  hung  at  the  yard-arn.  of  the 
admiral's  ship,  and  the  remainder  condemned  to  ten  years' 
labor  as  galley  slaves.  On  the  next  day  a  Spanish  vessel, 
laden  w^ith  provisions  and  stores,  entered  the  port  of  Pen- 
sacola, not  knowing  that  it  had  changed  masters,  and  was 
immediately  captured  by  the  French. 

After  the  re-taking  of  i^ensacola,  the  two  forts  were 
demolished,  and  all  the  houses  were  destroyed  save  four, 
which  were  kept  for  the  use  of  the  small  garrison  left  there. 
The  captured  numitions  and  stores  were  transported  to 
Dauphin  Island.* 

But  the  operations  of  this  inter-colonial  war,  which 
lusted  two  years,  were  not  wholly  confined  to  the  fringe 
of  European  settlements  on  the  coast  of  Florida  and 
f^udlHiullu.  Advi'MtUHMiri  whilu  trnders  and  explorers  had 
already  fouml  a  route  across  the  wbl«'  auil  barren  plains 
of  tlie  west,  IVolli  tlie  NfiHsoiiri  Hivet*  td  New  Ifexjco:  am] 
during  the  year  1720  a  Spanish  expedition  was  organized 
at  Santa  Kivf  to  operate  agiiliisl   thoFreinli  in  Northern 


Ist  of 

|ed  peo- 

Lonifl- 

tfi  re- 


*  piiniont's  Historical  Mt'inoir  of  l,ouiHiaiin. 

lynji.  —  li  waH  during  tlio  autuiiiii  ami  wIiiIlt  of  that  ymr  itHfl), 
that  Governor  Hiin villi'  roniovod  the  main  bnily  I'f  (ho  colony  from 
Dauphin  Island  to  Old  Miloxi,  and  thence  to  New  Hlluii,  fin  Mie  went 
side  of  the  buy  of  that  name. 

\  Santa  K<5  wiiu  uuttled  hy  IIm-'  Hpaniards  ns  early  as  1582-'83. 


'  "  ^'-^i^-it^''^'^ 


^^iiegaHi 


268 


Louisiana  under  Law's  Company. 


Louisiana,  while,  at  the  same  time,  it  was  expected  that  a 
fleet  would  assail  the  posts  of  the  latter  on  the  Gulf. 

Accordingly  a  force  of  three  hundred  Spanish  cavalry, 
together  with  some  traders,  women,  and  a  few  priests,  set 
out  from  Santa  Fe  on  their  eastward  march  across  the 
country,  guided  by  a  band  of  Padouca,  or  Comanche,  In- 
dians, The  intention  of  the  loaders  of  the  expedition  was 
to  proceed  by  way  of  the  Upper  Arkansas,  and  to  secure 
the  co-operation  of  the  Osage  Indians  in  a  combined 
attack  upon  the  Missouris,  who  were  friends  or  allies  of 
the  French.  Seventy  only  of  the  Spaniards  appear  to  have 
persevered  in  this  dangerous  enterprise,  and  they  were  con- 
ducted by  their  ignorant  guides  so  fVir  to  the  north  that 
they  struck  the  Kansas,  instead  of  the  Arkansas  River,  at 
a  point  not  far  above  its  junction  with  the  Missouri. 
Here  they  unwittingly  found  themselves  among  the  Mis- 
souri Indians,  who  spoke  the  same  language  as  the  Osages, 
The  wily  chiefs  of  the  Missouris  dissembled  their  own  in- 
tentions until  they  had  ascertained  the  purpose  of  the  in- 
vaders, and  received  a  supply  of  arms  from  them.  They 
then  assembled  their  young  warriors,  and,  falling  suddenly 
upon  the  Spaniards,  put  them  all  to  death,  save  the  com- 
mander, who  is  said  to  have  escaped  by  the  tleetness  of  his 
horse. 

Such,  in  substance,  is  the  story  of  the  invasion  and 
attempted  occupation  of  tlio  country  of  the  Missouris  by  the 
Spaniards  from  New  Mexico,  whose  objective  point  was  the 
Illinois. — (Martin's  Hist,  of  La.,  pp.  234-5.) 


The  account  of  this  Spanish  expedition,  as  given  in 
Bossu's  Letters  of  Travel,  agrees  in  essential  points  with 
the  above,  but  varies  from  and  is  fuller  in  its  details.  He 
writes : 


"  In  1720  the  Spaniards  formed  the  design  of  sotti'  ig  at  the  Mis- 
souris,  who  are  noar  the  Illinois,  in  order  to  confine  us  ( the  French) 
more  on  the  westward ;  the  MissouriH  are  far  distant  from  New  Mexico, 
which  is  the  most  northerly  province  the  Spaniards  have. 


Bossu's  Account  of  the  Spanish  Expedition.  269 


1)11  and 
by  the 
|/as  tlie 


Iven  in 

ta  with 

He 


Ithe  :SIiB- 

1  French) 

Mexico, 


"  They  helieved  that  in  or<l>T  to  [)nt  their  colony  in  safetv,  it  was 
necessary  they  should  entirely  tieHtroy  the  Missouris;  but  cm  ludiug 
that  it  would  be  impossible  to  subdue  tliera  with  their  own  forces  alone, 
they  resolved  to  make  an  alliance  with  the  Usages,. a  people  who  were 
the  neighbors  of  the  Missouris,  and  at  the  same  time  their  mortal  en- 
emies. With  that  view,  they  fornn-d  a  canivun  at  Santa  Fe,  consisting 
of  men,  women  and  soldiers,  having  a  Jacobine  (Dominican)  priest  for 
their  chaplain,  and  an  engineer  captain  for  their  chief  and  conductor, 
with  the  horsi  s  and  cattle  necessary  for  a  permanent  settlement.  The 
caravan  being  set  out  mistook  its  road,  and  arrived  at  the  Missouris, 
taking  them  to  be  the  Osages.  Immediately  the  i:onductor  of  the  car- 
avan ordi'p'd  his  interpreter  to  speak  to  the  chiel'  of  the  Missouris, 
as  if  he  had  bc'ii  that  nt  the  Osages,  and  tell  liiin  that  they  Wv-re  come 
to  make  an  allianee  with  him,  in  onUr  to  destroy  together  the  Missouris, 
their  enemies. 

"The  great  vhi"f  of  the  Mi.ssouris  concealt'd  his  thoughts  ut'on 
this  expedition,  showcil  tlio  Spaniards  signs  of  great  joy,  and  promised 
to  execute  a  design  witli  them  wiiieh  gave  him  mu<  u  j>leasure.  To 
that  purpose,  lie  invited  tlu-m  to  rest  for  a  few  days  after  their  tiresome 
journey,  till  he  had  assemliled  his  warriors,  and  held  council  with  the 
old  men  ;  but  the  result  of  that  council  was,  that  tli'-'y  should  entertain 
their  guests  vtiy  well,  and  affect  the  sincerest  friendship  for  them. 

"  They  agived  together  to  set  out  in  three  days.  The  Spanish  captain 
immediately  distributed  fifteen  (five)  hundred  muskets,  with  an  equal 
number  of  pistols,  sabers  and  hatchets;  but  the  very  morning  after  tins 
agi'eement,  tlie  Missouris  came  by  break  of  day  into  the  Spanish  camp, 
and  killed  them  all  except  the  Jacobin  priest,  whose  singular  dress  did 
not  seem  to  belong  to  a  warrior.     .     .     . 

".\11  these  tran.sactions  the  Missouris  themselves  related,  when  they 
brought  the  ornaments  of  the  chapel  hither — ^to  the  Illinois).  These 
people,  not  kmwing  the  respect  dae  the  sacred  utensils,  h  ing  the 
chalice  to  a  horse's  neck,  as  if  it  had  been  a  bell.  They  were  dressed 
out  in  these  ornanu-nts;  the  rhief  having  on  the  naked  skin  tile 
chasuble,  with  the  paten  suspended  from  his  neck. 

"  The  Missouris  told  him  (  Boisbriant)  that  the  Spaniards  intended  to 
have  destroyed  them;  that  they  bad  brought  him  all  these  things  as  being 
of  no  use  to  them,  and  that  if  he  would,  he  might  give  them  such  goods 
in  return  as  w^re  more  to  their  liking.  Accordingly,  he  gave  them  some 
goods,  and  sent  the  ornaments  to  M.  do  Bienville,  who  was  then  the 
governor  of  the  Province  of  Louisiana.  As  the  Indians  had  got  a  great 
nun\ber  of  Spanish  horses  from  the  caravan,  the  chief  of  the  Missouris 
gave  the  finest  of  them  to  M.  de  Boisbriant.  The}'  had  likewise  brought 
with  them  the  map  which  had  conducted  the  Spaniards  so  ill ;  who  came 
to  surrender  themselves,  confessing  their  intention  to  their  enemies." — 
Kutireau  Voyages  <u<.i  Indies  Occidentales,  Far  M.  Bo»su,  Capitaine  dans  les 
JVfrupea  d-e  la  Marine.  A  Paris,  17G8.  English  edition,  London,  1771, 
Part  I.,  pp.  150-155. 


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~ '  ''"^*-"i?iW>miIi>t.ritBtiti*.««iiiia^*<i>i«>iu«iS>7»^ 


270 


Boisbriant's  Rule  in  Illinois. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

1718-1732. 

LIEUTENANT    BOISBRIANT's  RULE  IN  THE  ILLINOIS — THE  NATCHEZ 

WAR. 

Early  in  the  month  of  October,  1718,  Pierre  Duque  do 
Boi8briant,as  king's  lieutenant  for  Louisiana,  departed  from 
the  Mobile  up  the  Mississippi,  with  a  considerable  detacli- 
ment  of  regular  xroo)»s,  to  regulate  aitairs  in  the  Illinois, 
and  to  establish  a  permanent  military  post  for  the  better 
protection  of  the  French  inhabitants  in  that  inii»ortant  part 
of  the  province.  Arrived  at  Kaskaskia,  he  temporarily  lo- 
cated his  head-(iuarters  there,  which  was  the  liivst  military 
occupation  of  the  village ;  but  it  was  only  for  about  tifteen 
months  that  he  ma<le  it  his  residence.  Selecting  a  con- 
venient site  for  a  post,  some  sixteen  miles  above  and  to  the 
north-west  of  Kaskaskia,  he  sent  a  nund)er  of  artisans  and 
lal)orers  to  work  there,  and  by  the  s[)ring  of  1720  they  had 
built  and  comjdoted  the  fort,  which  ^va8  thenceforth  the 
head-quarters  of  the  comnnindant  and  the  seat  of  authority 
in  the  district.  It  was  erected  at  the  expense  of  the  Com- 
pany of  the  West,  and  was  named  Fort  Chartres,  or  Fort 
de  Chartres,  probably  in  compliment  to  the  then  Regent  of 
France,  from  the  title  of  his  son,  the  Due  de  Chartres.* 
Tlio  fort  stood  less  tlian  one  mile  from  the  Mississippi,  and 
a  little  to  the  east  of  an  older  fortlet  that  had  been  raised 
by  the  adventurers  under  Crozat.  This  second  fort  wua 
not  a  place  of  iiiucli  military  h.rength,  being  constructed 
princii)ally  of  wood;  but  it  subserved  the  purpose  of  its 
builders  and  occupants,  and  in  time  was  supplanted  by  that 
extensive  stone  erection,  at  tlie  same  })lace,  which  figures 
80  prominently  in  the  later  French  history  of  Illinois. 

*  It  might  ulso  have  been  bo  called  from  a  city  of  that  name  in 
France. 


First  Building  of  Fort  Chartres. 


271 


[)i,  an<i 

|rt  WHS 
:rucUHi 
of  itrt 
Iby  tluit 


Upon  the  building  of  Fort  Chartres,  a  village  began 
to  grow  on  the  bottom  between  it  and  the  river.  The 
"company"  erected  its  warehouses  here,  and  the  Jesu'ts 
built  the  church  of  St.  Anne  de  Fort  Chartres.  Under  tlie 
jurindiction  of  the  priest  of  tliis  church,  chapels  were  sub- 
sequently erected  at  Prairie  du  Rocher  and  St.  Philippe's. 
After  the  rebuilding  of  the  fort  in  175<^,  the  village  took 
the  name  of  New  Chartres;  and,  a  few  years  later,  it  is 
said  to  have  contained  forty  families.  Part  of  the  ancient 
records  of  the  parish  of  St.  Anne  have  been  preserved  to 
this  day.* 

Shortly  after  the  occupation  of  Fori  Chartres,  all  the 
French  villages  in  Illinois  became  extended  and  received 
considerable  accessions  to  their  po})nlution.  In  1719,  a  par- 
ish was  formed  of  the  mission  at  Kaskaskia,  of  which,  in 
the  succtoding  year,  Father  Nicholas  Ignatius  de  Beaubois 
had  charge.  In  1721  the  Jesuits  estiibli.'hed  a  moiuistery 
and  college  (so  called)  at  Kaskaskia,  and  in  1725  the  vil- 
lage bec'ime  incorporated  as  a  town.  At  Cahokia,  the  Sul- 
pitians  erected  a  water-mill  for  grinding  corn  and  sawing 
lumber,  and  also  imjtroved  and  stocked  a  tine  plantation. 

As  the  transactions  of  the  Western  Company  were 
multiplied  and  extended  in  Lower  Louisiana,  the  district 
of  tiie  Illinois  was  likewise  beneiited  ;  for  they  furnished 
a  market  for  its  surplns  agricultural  productions,  already 
considerable,  and  to  the  furs  and  pelts  gathered  in  trafhc 
with  the  Indians,  as  well  as  to  the  lead  dug  from  the  mines 
of  Missouri.  But  this  was  not  all.  The  colonists  could 
now  obtain  from  the  c<imi)aiiy  titles  to  their  landed  pos- 
sessions, and  thus  be  (luicted  in  any  uneasiness  they  might 
otherwise  have  felt  in  regard  to  theni.  1'he  only  tenure  by 
which  they  had  hitherto  held  their  village  lots  and  parcels 
of  land  was  by  verbal  grant  or  mere  acquiescence  of  the 
Indiihs,  with  no  reference  to  the  king,  "the  lord  para- 
mount of  the  soil  according  to  French  law." 
t  The  "company"  had  succeeded  to  the  rights  of  the 
crown  in  the   land,  and,  though   extensive  domains   were 


History  of  Randolph  Co.,  111.,  etc.,  p.  .WJ. 


272 


BoisbrianVs  Rule  in  Illinois. 


granted  by  it  to  some  favored  or  influential  persons  in  the 
soutliern  part  of  Louisiana,  there  were  but  few  in  the  north- 
ern part  who  sought  to  secure  more  than  those  small  par- 
cels or  tracts,  the  cultivation  of  which  had  inspired  them 
with  a  feeling  of  home.  Moreover,  it  was  important  to  the 
managers  of  the  company  that  the  soil  should  be  cultivated, 
as  a  ready  and  certain  source  of  subsistence  to  those  at- 
tached to  it,  vm\  for  the  success  of  all  tlieir  operations. 
Disappointed  in  the  eager  search  for  mineral  wealth,  many 
of  the  adventurers  betook  themselves  from  necessity  to  the 
pursuits  of  agriculture.  Grants  of  land  were  therefore 
made,  for  the  purposes  of  settlement  and  cultivatior,  to  all 
who  apjilied  for  them.  The  earliest  recorded  private  grants 
date  back  to  1722,  a!id  were  mostly  executed  by  JM.  de 
Boisbriant,  commandant  in  the  Illinois,  representing  the 
king,  a!id  Marc  Antoine  de  la  Loire  dcs  L'^rsins,  on  behalf 
of  the  Koyal  Indian  (Company,  sucL-essor  to  the  Company 
of  the  West.  The  following  is  one  of  the  earliest  of 
record : 


"  Pierre  Duquet  de  Boisbriant,  Knight  of  the  Military 
Order  of  St.  Louis,  and  first  King's  Lieutenant  of  the 
Province  of  Louisiana,  commanding  at  the  Illinois,  and 
Mons.  Antoine  de  ia  Loire  des  Ursins,  principal  Commissary 
for  the  Itoyal  India  Com}>any,  on  the  demand  of  Charles 
Danie,  to  grant  him  a  piece  of  land  of  five  arpents  in  front 
on  the  side  of  the  Mitchigamia  River,  running  north  and 
south,  joining  to  Michael  Philip  on  one  side,  and  on  the 
other  to  Mele([ue,  and  in  dei)th,  east  and  west  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi. In  conse([uence,  they  do  grant  to  the  said  Charles 
Danie,  in  socacje,  the*  said  land,  whereon  he  may  from  this 
date  conmience  working,  clearing  and  sawing,  in  ex[)ecta- 
tion  of  a  fornnil  concession,*  which  shall  bo  sent  from 
France  by  Messrs.  the  J)irector8  of  the  Koyal  India  Com- 
pany, and  the  said  land  shall  revert  to  the  domain  of  the 


*  This  more  "  formal  conoesBion  "  seems  to  have  been  neglected  by 
the  t'ompHuy. 


Land  Grants  by  the  Company. 


273 


the 
I'tli- 
par- 

I  the 
ited, 
3  at- 
ious. 
uany 
o  the 
■efore 
to  all 
i-rauts 
\L  (le 
0-   the 
johalt' 
lip  any 
est   of 


lU'cted  by 


said   company  if  the  said  Charles  Danie  does  not  work 
thereon  within  a  year  and  a  day. 

"  Given  this  10th  day  or  May,  1722. 

(Signed,)  "  Boisbriant, 

"  "Des  Ursins."* 

Remarking  upon  the  ahove  and  simihir  grants,  Judge 
Breese  writes  :  "Incipient  titles  were  only  granted  hy  these 
officers,  hut  almost  all  of  them  ripened  into  a  right  without 
the  formality  of  a  concession  from  the  company  in  France, 
and  became  allodial,  tliough  granted  in  socage,  for  the  sim- 
ple reason  that  they  were  considered  of  so  little  value  as 
property  that  the  agents  of  the  company  did  not  trouble 
themselves  to  see  whether  the  conditions  and  services  were 
{>erformed  or  not. 

'*  The  manner  in  which  the  settlers  cultivated  is  pecu- 
liar, I  believe,  to  the  French,  and  deserves  a  i)assing  notice. 
Th"y  had  not,  as  we  have,  separate  fields,  nor  did  they  re- 
side on  the  cultivated  lands  in  general.  They  dwelt  in 
villages,  on  lots  of  ground  containing  generally  an  arpent 
8(juare  (less  than  the  Knglish  acre),  which  they  inclosed 
with  pickets  of  cedar  or  other  durable  wood,  sharpened  at 
the  top,  and  apjtropriated  it  to  the  purpose  of  a  garden,  re- 
serving a  small  part  only  for  a  barn,  stable,  and  other  f)ut- 
liouses.  Their  farming  lands  were  adjacent  to  the  village 
\n  the  neighboring  prairie,  divided  into  strips,  sometimes 
not  more  than  half  an  arpent  in  width,  extending  originally 
west  from  the  Kaskaskia  to  the  Mississipj)i  liiver,  a  mile  or 
more  in  length,  and  uninclosed  by  any  fence  wliatever. 
These  farming  strips,  thus  lying  contiguous  to  each  other, 
embraced  what  was  long  known  as  the  'common  field.'"  f 

It  appears  from  a  [)etition  presented  by  the  iidiabitants 
of  Kaskaskia  to  the  district  commandant  of  the  Illinois, 
early  in  1727,  that  in  the  year  1719  Major  Boisbriant  had 
caused  to  be  drawn  the  lines  of  the  grand  square  in  the 


*  H«  was  aftt'rward  killed  in  the  iiuiHsacrc  at  Kort  KoHalii; 
t  "  Karly  llintory  of  IlliiioiH,"  p.  173. 
18 


•;?«^i^»'>**w«S!«*t^?-" 


274 


Boisbriant^s  Rule  in  Illinois. 


prairie  which  they  then  tilled,  and  de8ignate<l  to  cacli  in- 
habitant his  respective  parcel  of  land.  He  then  established 
a  "  common  "  for  stock,  lying  outside  of  the  lines  of  the 
cultivated  fields,  and  extending  south  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Kaskaskia  River,  and  also  including  the  adjacent  islands  in 
tlie  Mississippi,  and  a  strip  of  bottom  land  on  the  east  side 
of  the  former  river,  for  their  cattle,  horses,  and  swine  to 
range  upon.  But  the  written  instruments  of  concession 
were  not  delivered  to  them  by  the  Superior  Council  of" 
Louisiana. 

Under  this  arrangement,  it  was  necessary  to  watch 
their  live  stock  while  grazing  on  the  common  adjacent  to 
the  cultivated  lands,  the  idea  not  having  occurred  to  them 
until  Boisbriant  gave  them  the  hint,  that  a  fence  would 
protect  them  from  their  ravages  and  render  watcliing  use- 
less. It  was  not,  however,  until  1727  that  they  did  inclose 
these  lands  by  planting  pickets  upon  the  lines  marked  out 
by  Boisbriant,  thus  making  a  large  field  of  several  thousand 
acres.  The  "commons"  att'orded  a  rich  pasturage  for  their 
cattle  and  horses,  and  much  of  it  was  covered  with  a  lux- 
uriant growth  of  walnut,  oak,  and  hickory,  the  mast  from 
which,  added  to  the  hazel-nuts,  served  to  fatten  their  numer- 
ous swine. 

On  the  22d  of  June,  1722,  Messieurs  Boisbriant  and 
Des  Ursins  granted  to  the  inhabitants  of  Cahokia  their 
"commons,"  situated  on  the  alluvial  bottom  between  that 
village  and  the  Mississippi,  and  near  to  the  present  great 
city  of  St.  Louis.  The  same  officials  also  confirmed  to 
them  their  "common  field,"  which  extended  from  the 
bluffs  that  line  the  American  Jiottcmi  on  the  east  to  the 
liigolet  or  creek  of  C^ahokia.* 

In  the  following  year,  on  .June  14,  1723,  Boisbriant 
and  Des  Ursins  granted  to  I'hilip  Francois  de  Renault,  di- 
rector-general of  the  mining  oi)eration8  of  the  company, 
one  league  s<juare  of  land  in  the  south-west  part  of  what  is 
now  Monroe  county,  Illinois,  and  also  a  tract  of  land  of 
more  than  fourteen  thousand  acres  at  Peoria.     Uenault  wtis 


*  BreeHo'H  MiHtory,  pp.  174  to  170. 


JjOind  Grants  to  the  Sieur  Renault. 


275 


m- 

the 
'  the 
lis  \\\ 
,  side 
ic  to 

W  of 

watch 
3Ut  t«) 

theiu 
wouUl 
ig  use- 
inclose 
ed    out 
oiisand 
jv  tlieir 
|i  a  bix- 

t  from 

nuuior- 

uit  and 
their 
on  that 
it  great 
nicd  to 
om  tiie 
it  to  the 

HHbriaiit 
uuilt,  di- 
ompauy^ 
f  Nvhat  ia 
hind  of 
luiultwas 


a  man  of  fortune  and  entorpriso,  who  had  left  Lo  Belle 
France  in  the  spring  of  1719,  with  two  hundred  miners  and 
laborers,  and  every  thing  needful  to  prosecute  the  business 
pertaining  to  his  office.  On  the  voyage  to  Louisiana,  he 
purchased  at  St.  Domingo  live  hundred  Guinea  negroes  to 
work  in  the  mines.  Arriving  on  the  Lower  Mississippi,  he 
thence  ascended  the  river  in  canoes  to  the  Illinois  and  Mis- 
souri, where  gold  and  silver  were  supposed  to  exist  in 
abundance.  Sanguine  hopes  were  entertained  by  the  stock- 
holders ir^  the  "company"  at  his  anticipated  success,  but 
they  all  eventually  ended  in  disappointment.  Prospecting 
and  mining  parties  were  sent  out  into  various  parts  of  the 
country.  Diligent  search  was  made  for  minerals  on 
Drewrv's  Creek,  in  what  is  now  Jackson  countv;  about  St. 
Mary's,  in  Randolph  county;  along  Silver  Creek,  in  Monroe 
county;  at  several  points  in  St.  Clair  county,  an<l  in  other 
l>arts  of  Southern  Illinois,  as  well  as  in  Missouri.  ]>ut, 
after  expending  a  large  amount  of  money  and  four  years 
of  valuable  time,  Renault  had  to  content  himself  with  th«^ 
gift  of  the  before  mentioned  wild  lands,  and  witli  dull  lead 
instead  of  the  glittering  ores.* 

On  the  concession  made  to  him  in  Monroe  county,  lie 
laid  out  a  little  vilhige,  which  he  honored  with  his  own 
baptisnud  appellation  of  "  St.  Philippe."  It  stood  on  the 
plain,  about  one  mile  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  five  miles 
from  old  Fort  Chartres.  Like  al'  the  other  French  villages, 
it  had  its  "  common  field,"  the  allotments  being  made  l)y 
Ihe  founder,  and  also  its  "commons,"  embracing  a  large 
scope  of  the  unappropriated  domain.  It  contained  at  one 
time  sixteen  houses,  besides  a  snndl  chapel,  but  in  1765 
nearly  all  the  inhabitants  deserted  it,  and  went  to  reside  on 
the  western  baidc  of  the  Mississippi.  Not  a  vestige  of 
either  this  or  C'harte  Village  now  renuiiu  to  tell  the  story 
of  their  rise,  progress,  or  decline.  The  name  of  tlie  worthy 
Renault,  however,  is  still  perpetuated  in  tliat  of  u  precinct 
and  post-office  of  Monroe  county. 

*  Later  ^cologionl  invt'stiLration  Iuih  hIimwii  tliat  silver  jh  coinbinod 
with  the  lead  mined  in  i\\'w  region,  but  in  hardly  HUllieient  quantities 
to  pay  for  its  separation. 


276 


Boishrianf s  Rule  in  Illinois. 


To  Boisbriant  yiimself,  tlie  Company  of  the  Indies,  be- 
fore the  8urrender  of  its  vast  privileges  to  the  crown, 
granted  what  in  Europe  would  liave  been  considered  a 
handsome  principality,  embracing  several  thousand  acres 
of  rich  bottom  land,  extending  from  the  blutfs  on  the  east 
to  tVie  Mis8issi})pi.  In  1733,  he  transferred  this  tine  tract 
to  his  nephew,  Jean  St.  Therese  Langlois,  an  officer  of  the 
king's  troops  then  quartered  in  the  Illinois.  Imitating 
Renault's  example,  Langlois  established  upon  his  estate  the 
village  of  Prairie  du  Rocher,  reserving  to  himself  certain 
seignorial  rights  recognized  by  the  feudal  law  and  the  cus- 
toms of  Paris.  He  divided  the  land  set  apart  for  the  vil- 
lage into  small,  narrow  allotments,  with  a  "common  tield," 
as  usual,  to  actual  settlers,  some  of  whose  descendants 
continue  to  cultivate  it  in  a  primitive  way  to  the  present 
time.  This  village  took  its  name  from  the  rocky  blutf  that 
bounds  it  on  the  east,  and  runs  parallel  with  the  river  at 
the  distance  of  a  league  therefrom.  It  is  situated  about 
three  miles  east  of  Fort  Chartres,  and,  at  the  close  of  the 
French  dominion,  com[)risetl  twenty-two  dwelling-houses 
and  a  chapel. 

Aside  from  tliose  we  liave  mentioned,  l)ut  few  grants 
of  any  magnitude  were  made  by  the  Royal  India  Company 
to  persons  in  Illinois.  Good  lands  were  far  too  abunthmt 
in  those  days  to  be  much  cared  for,  or  considered  of  any 
particular  value;  otherwise,  many  of  the  French  settlers 
might  have  possessed  dukedoms.  At  this  })criod,  the  pres- 
ence of  the  copimandant,  and  of  the  local  officers  of  the 
"  company,"  together  with  a  detachment  of  his  majesty's 
troojjs,  at  Fort  Chartres,  nuide  it  the  focus  of  whatever  of 
wealth,  culture,  and  fashion  there  was  in  the  district  of  the 
Illinois. 

In  1725,  Governor  Bienville,  owing  to  the  jealousy  and 
opjtosition  of  his  enemies,  was  recalled  to  France,  and  his 
brother,  ('hateaugue,  was  also  deposed  from  his  office  of 
lieutenant-governor  in  the  colony.  M.  de  Boisbriant,  as 
first  king's  lieutenant,  now  became  governor  ad  interim  of 
Louisiana,  with  head-quarters  at  New  Orleans,  and  liis  po- 
sition of  major-commandant  at  the  Illinois  was  filled  by 


Gov.  BknvUle  Succeeded  by  Perier. 


277 


prcs- 
)t'  the 

!ver  of 
of  the 


the  Sieur  de  Liette,  a  captain  in  the  royal  army.  Boishriant 
was  an  aniiahlc  and  benevolently  inclined  gentleman,  and 
his  administration  of  affairs  was  deservedly  popnlar,  both 
in  Upper  and  Lower  Louisiana.  In  xVugust,  172(5,  he  was 
relieved  of  his  duties  as  eonmiandant-general  of  the  prov- 
ince by  M.  de  Perier,  an  o^cer  of  the  marines,  and  a 
knight  of  St.  Louis,  who  had  been  ai)pointed  to  succeed 
Bienville. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  and  installation  in  ofHce,  Gov- 
ernor Perier's  attention  was  called  to  the  Natcliez  and 
Chickasaw  Indians,  and  to  the  insincerity  of  their  profes- 
sions of  friendship  for  the  French,  lie  thereupon  ad- 
dressed the  directors  of  the  In<lia  Company,  and  urged 
upon  them,  as  his  predecessor  had  done  before,  to  provide 
more  effective  protection  for  the  white  settlers  exposed  to 
the  hostility  of  those  tribes.  But  his  api)rclien8ion8  were 
not  shared  by  the  directors,  and  no  additional  troops  appear 
to  have  been  provided. 

We  now  ai)proach  one  of  tlie  most  memorable  epi- 
sodes in  the  French  annals  of  Louisiana,  viz,  the  war  with 
and  destruction  of  the  Natchez  nation.  The  history  of 
this  strange  and  interesting  people  has  beeii  imparted  to 
us  by  their  destroyers ;  and  we  may  therefore  presume  that 
all  the  more  amiable  and  polished  traits  ascribed  to  them 
are  true.  They  and  their  kindred,  the  Taensas  (who  dis- 
appeared as  a  distinct  tribe  before  1712),  inhabited  that 
range  of  sutiny  hills  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississij»j)i, 
which  constitutes  one  of  the  finest  districts  in  the  present 
State  of  Mississippi.  Their  traditions  pointed  to  the  fact 
that  their  ancestors  had  come  from  countries  to  the  south- 
west. Their  language,  Sabianism,  human  sacrifices,  and 
mound  building,  seem  to  connect  them  with  the  T'dtccs  of 
Mexico,  or  the  Mayas  of  Yucatan.  Their  singular  custom 
of  distorting  the  head  by  compression  corresponds  witli  the 
description  of  the  ancient  Mexicans,  by  liernal  Diaz.  They 
are  described  as  mild,  friendly  and  brave,  though  preferring 
peace  to  war,  and  as  being  very  dissolute. 

Compared  with  the  Indians  around  them,  the  Natchez 
might  be  called  a  semi-civilized  people.     It  is  true  that 


278 


Boishrlant' s  Rale  in  Illinois. 


some  barbarous  customs  prevailed  among  them,  but  these 
only  indicate  that  a  cruel  and  sanguinary  superstition  may 
taint  the  character  and  manners  of  a  people,  otherwise 
peaceable  and  humane.  They  had  tixed  laws  or  usages, 
gradations  of  rank,  and  an  established  worship,  with  tem- 
ples dedicated  to  the  sun.  They  were  governed  by  a  chief 
called  the  Great  Sun,  said  to  have  been  descended,  in  the 
female  line,  from  a  man  and  woman  who  came  down  from 
the  sun,  and  built  their  first  temple  for  perpetual  fire,  which 
was  ever  afterward  maintained.  This  temple  stood  on  a 
mound  about  eight  feet  high,  with  a  pitched  roof,  and 
in  it  three  logs  were  kept  slowly  burning.  The  power  of 
the  Sun-chief  was  absolute,  as  was  that  of  the  lesser  suns, 
or  male  members  of  his  family.  Such  was  the  idolatrous 
veneration  in  which  the  great  chief  was  held  by  his  sub- 
jects, that  he  was  never  approached  by  them  without 
special  marks  of  reverence.  Next  to  the  Suns  were  the 
subordinate  chiefs  or  nobles.  The  common  people,  called 
puants,  by  the  French,  were  apparently  a  mixed  race  of 
Choctaws  and  others.  In  war  the  Natchez  used  bows  and 
arrows,  clubs,  and  other  Indian  weapons,  but  they  had  no 
metals  of  any  consequence.  They  dressed  in  buffalo,  bear 
and  other  skins  for  winter,  and  in  summer  wore  light  robes 
made  of  tlax,  or  the  inner  bark  of  the  mulberry.  They 
had  various  feasts,  wliich  were  duly  celebrated ;  and  on 
the  death  of  a  chief  killed  many  of  his  retainers  to  attend 
him  in  the  future  life.  Their  dead,  after  the  practice  of 
the  Indians  in  general,  were  kept  on  raised  platforms  till 
the  tiesh  was  consumed,  when  the  bones  were  buried. 

"  The  Natchez,"  writes  Mr.  Gayarre,  "  were  of  a  light 
mahogany  complexion,  with  jet  black  hair  and  eyes.  Their 
features  were  extremely  regular,  and  their  expression  was 
intelligent,  open,  and  noble.  They  were  tall  in  stature, 
very  few  of  them  being  under  six  feet,  and  the  symmetry 
of  their  well-proportioned  limbs  was  remarkable."  This 
description,  liowever,  could  hardly  apply  to  any  but  the 
chiefs  and  nobles  of  that  race.  Originally  a  very  numerous 
people,  they  occupied  and  ruled  the  country  iar  up  and 
down  the  Mississippi ;  but  they  begjin  to  decline  before  the 


Some  Account  of  the  Natchez  Nation, 


279 


lese 

nay 

A'ise 

iges, 

tem- 

;j\net' 

.  t\ie 

from 

,'hicb 

on  a 
,  and 
rer  ot* 

suns, 
itrous 
s  sub- 
itliout 
re  the 

called 
•ace  of 
svs  and 


la 


d  no 

bear 

robes 

They 

d  on 

attend 

tice  of 

ns  till 


m 


a 


light 
Their 
on  was 
stature, 
nmetry 
This 
but  the 
[luerous 
up  and 
fore  the 


appearance  of  the  Frencli  aniono-  tliem,  which  has  been 
termed  "the  e.a  of  their  doom."  The  causes  assigned  for 
the  dwindling  of  this  race  were,  their  frequent  hecatombs 
of  luiman  beings,  tlie  state  of  warfare  in  whicli  they  lived 
with  the  neighboring  tribes,  the  prevalence  of  lung  diseases 
among  them,  and  the  ravages  of  the  snniU-pox. 

The  existence  of  the  Natchez  was  know^n  to  Europeans 
from  the  year  15G0,  when  Don  Tristan  de  Luna  led  a  Span- 
ish expedition  into  their  country  from  the  southern  coast 
of  Florida.  La  Salle,  as  we  have  seen,  reached  them  in 
March,  1682,  and  (riberville  was  tliere  in  the  spring  of 
1700.  Soon  after  that,  they  were  visited  by  English  traders 
from  Carolina.  At  this  [)eriod  tliey  occupied  a  group  of 
iive  villages,  situated  to  the  east  and  south-east  of  the  pres- 
ent city  of  Natchez,  and  about  three  miles  from  the  Missis- 
sippi River.  The  French  both  courted  and  dreaded  this 
formidable  people,  and  in  their  intercourse  with  them  had 
need  for  the  exercise  of  all  their  tact  and  skill  in  Indian 
diplomac}'.  In  171<),  the  Natchez  having  killed  some 
Frenchmen  and  made  prisoners  of  others,  IVienville,  as 
lieutenant  of  the  province,  coerced  them  to  put  to  death 
certain  of  the  murderers,  and  built  Fort  Rosalie  there  for 
the  protection  of  the  French  settlers.  In  1722  acts  of  hos- 
tility were  renewed  by  the  inconstant  Natchez,  when  Bien- 
ville, as  commandant-general,  sent  t\ui  Sieur  Paillou,  with 
a  number  of  troops,  to  chastise  them  ;  and  in  October,  1723, 
the  governor  himself  conducted  an  exi»cilition  from  New 
Orleans  against  that  people.  Ujion  arriving  with  his  army 
at  the  Natchez,  he  destroyed  luo  of  their  villages  (White 
Ai)ple  and  Gray  Village),  and  compelled  Stung-Serpent, 
the  great  chief  of  the  natii)n,  to  lu'ing  him  the  heads  of 
Oldhair,  ehiet  of  the  White  Ap}tle  A'iliage,  and  of  a  free 
negro,  who  had  settled  anuuig  the  Natchez  and  made  him- 
self the  leader  of  an  insurrectionary  i»arty.  Having  thus 
brought  the  war  to  an  end,  the  governor  returned  to  the 
capital.*     But  the  peace  now  made  was  insincere,  and  new 


*  Dumont's  Memoir,  in  Hist.  Coil's  of  I-a.,  vol.  v. 


280 


The  Natchez  War. 


troubles  arose  froiri  time  to  time  betweoa  the  whites  and 
the  IndianE. 

The  proximate  cause  (/f  tlie  war,  which  ended  in  tlie 
extinction  of  tlie  Natchez  as  a  nation,  was  due  to  the  ra- 
pacity and  tyranny  of  the  Sieur  de  Chopart,  or  Chepart, 
who  was  appointed  commandant  of  Fort  Rosalie  in  1726. 
lie  first  made  himself  objioxious  to  the  French  settlers  at 
Natchez  ])y  various  acts  of  oppression  and  injustice,  and 
was  ordered  to  New  Orleans  to  undergo  an  itivestigation  of 
his  conduct.  But,  at  the  solicitation  of  inHuential  friends, 
and  with  mistaken  leniency  on  the  part  of  Governor  Peiier, 
he  was  reinstated  in  liis  command.  On  his  return  to  his 
post,  in  1T29,  Chopart  took  with  him  some  negro  slaves, 
intending  to  establish  a  plantation  in  that  locality.  Not 
daring  to  dispossess  any  of  the  French  settlers,  he  resolved  to 
take  possession  of  the  Great  Village  of  the  Natcliez,  which 
was  seated  in  a  beautiful  {)lain,  intersected  by  the  little  river 
St.  Catharine.  With  this  intention,  he  sent  for  the  Sun- 
chief,  and  by  his  interpreter,  Papin,  ordered  him  to  remove 
his  people  from  the  Great  Village,  since  it  was  needed  for 
the  erection  of  some  large  buildings.  To  so  astounding  a 
proposition  the  great  cliief  replied,  "  that  their  nation  liad 
long  been  in  possession  of  that  village,  and  lived  there ; 
that  tlie  ashes  of  their  fathers  reposed  tlierc,  deposited  in 
the  temples  which  they  had  liuilt ;  that  the  French  had 
never  yet  taken  lands  by  force ;  that  if  they  had  settled  on 
their  lands,  the  nation  itself  gave  them  sites  in  the  hope  of 
obtaining  protection  and  defense  against  their  enemies;  and 
that  many  Frenchmen  had  given  goods  to  the  Indians  in 
payment  for  the  lands  they  occupied."  * 

These  representations  made  no  impression  on  the 
mind  of  the  rapacious  commandant,  who  repeated  his  order, 
with  the  threat  that,  if  it  was  not  comj)lied  with,  he  would 
send  the  chief  bound  hand  and  foot  to  New  Orleans.  The 
great  chief  seeing  that  he  could  not  move  the  command- 
ant, pretended  to  yield  to  his  demand,  and  only  asked  two 
moons  (months)  in  which  to  choose  and  prepare  a  new  vil- 


*Dumont's  Memoir,  in  Hist.  Coil's  of  La.,  vol.  v.,  p.  (56. 


Tyrrany  of  the  French  Commandant. 


281 


lage  for  his  nation.  The  time  asked  for  wat^  granted  by 
Chopart,  but  on  tl.e  condition  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
vilhige  shouhl  pay  him  a  certain  (piantity  of  poultry,  bask- 
ets of  corn,  j)ots  of  bear's  oil  and  bundles  of  skins. 

When  the  great  chief  returned  to  his  village,  he  sum- 
moned a  council  of  his  princii)al  chiefs  and  warriors  to 
consider  what  means  should  be  adopted  to  prevent  their 
village  and  lands  from  being  taken  from  them  by  the 
French.  Many  secret  meetings  and  conferences  were  held, 
and  it  was  finally  resolved  to  massacre  not  only  the  com- 
mandai'i:  and  garrison  of  Fort  Kosalie,  but  all  the  French 
in  their  territory,  and  thus  rid  themselves  of  tlieir  liated 
presence.  So  soon  as  this  barbarous  resolution  was  taken, 
they  sent  deputies  to  the  principal  Indian  nations  in  the 
province,  requesting  their  aid  in  this  sujtreme  effort  to  pre- 
serve their  independence.  The  Choctaws,  the  Chickasaws, 
and  even  the  Illinois  were  invited  to  take  part  with  them 
in  their  meditated  scheme  of  vengeance.  The  Choctaws 
were  the  first  and  readiest  to  embrace  t)ie  quarrel  of  the 
Natchez.  They  agreed  to  destroy  all  the  French  on  the 
lower  part  of  the  Mississippi,  and  for  tlie  execution  of  this 
purpose  fixed  the  day  which  ended  the  two  moons  granted 
by  the  comnumdant.  But  as  these  Indians  could  not  count, 
they  exchanged  vith  each  other  as  many  little  sticks  or 
twigs  as  there  were  days,  till  tiiat  fixed  for  the  butcher} . 
After  tliis  negotiation,  the  Natchez  deputies  returned  to 
their  village,  bearing  the  fatal  bundle  of  sticks.  These  the 
great  chief  carried  to  the  temple,  and  every  morning  he 
threw  one  of  the  twigs  on  the  fire,  wliich  was  kei>t  burning 
there.  The  Indians,  meantime,  remained  quietly  at  their 
Great  Village,  taking  no  steps  to  remove  to  another  site. 

Although  kept  very  secret,  the  plot  was  neverthe- 
less disclosed.  The  interpreter  of  the  post,  the  sub-lieu- 
tenant of  the  garrison,  and  several  others  were  warned  of 
what  was  coming  by  certain  Indian  women,  their  mis- 
tresses. Even  the  day  (St.  Andrew's-eve)  of  the  bloody  exe- 
cution was  foretold.  But  when  this  was  reported  to  Cho- 
part, the  commandant,  he  refused  to  believe  it,  and  went  so 
far  as  to  order  those  who  brought  him  the  disquieting  news 


S.r'   > 


282 


The  Natchez  War. 


to  be  placed  under  arrest.  "  Warned  as  he  was,  he  might 
very  easily  have  prevented  the  misfortune  ^vhich  happened, 
had  iie  chosen  to  do  so ;  it  would  have  been,  enough  to  put 
the  troops  under  arms,  and  fire  a  cannon  even  without  ball. 
But  either  because  wine  and  the  table  had  troubled  his 
Judgment,  or  that  he  vvae  unfortunately  prejudiced  in  favor 
of  the  Indians,  or  that  he  believed  them  incapable  of  dar- 
ing to  execute  such  a  design,  he  would  not  take  any  meae- 
nres  to  thwart  it ;  and  as  his  injustice  provoked,  so  his  ob- 
stinacy crowned  the  evil  and  made  it  remediless."* 

The  fatal  day  for  the  outburst  of  the  smothered  ven- 
geance of  the  savages,  according  to  the  count  kept  by  the 
Katchez,  was  the  29th  of  November,  1729.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  that  day  the  Sun-chief  set  out  from  his  village,  at- 
tended by  a  numerous  body  of  his  warriors,  with  their 
weapons  concealed  under  their  clothing,  and  with  the  calu- 
niet  raised  aloft,  they  marched  to  the  liouse  of  the  com- 
mandant, bearing  the  promised  tribute  of  poultry,  corn, 
^>ear'8  oil,  etc.  The  soldiers  of  the  garrison  were  abroad  i»i 
fancied  security,  and  the  savages  immediately  seized  the 
gates  of  the  fort,  so  as  to  exclude  them  from  ac,cess  to  tiieir 
arms.  At  the  same  time  the  houses  of  the  French,  and  a 
boat  at  the  landing,  v/ere  surrounded.  The  work  of  blood 
now  began,  and  before  noon  nearly  all  the  Frenchmen  can- 
toned among  the  Natchez  were  slain.  Two  men  only  were 
spared — one  a  carter  and  the  other  a  tailor — and  a  few 
others  escaped.  Su'.3h  was  the  abhorrence  and  contempt  of 
the  Natchez  for  Cliopart,  that  none  of  their  chiefs  would 
kill  him,  and  a  Puant  warrior  was  deputed  to  perform  that 
service. 

It  is  related  rhat  the  Sun-chief  took  his  seat  under  the 
projecting  roof  of  the  store-house  belonging  to  the  India 
Company,  and  comi)lacently  smoked  his  calumet,  while  the 
heads  of  the  Fnniciimen  were  brought  one  after  another 
and  laid  at  his  feet.     Among  the  more  prominent  victims 


*  Duinont'H  Historical  Memoir,  before  c.ied.  lie  was  a  lii  utenant 
in  th?  French  service,  and  .i  participant  in  some  of  the  events  he  nar- 
rates. 


Massacre  of  the  French  at  Fort  Mosalie. 


283 


ligVit 
>ned, 
)  put 
ball. 
i  biB 
favor 
:  dar- 
meae- 
Lis  ob- 

d  ven- 
by  the 
niorn- 

LgC,  t^t- 

\  their 

le  cahi- 

c  com- 

;,  corn, 

•road  in 

f.cd  the 

to  their 

1,  and  a 
t"  blood 
on  ean- 
ly  were 
a  few 
I'lnpt  of 
would 
nn  that 

iider  the 
lie  Iiidia 
Idiilo  the 
another 
[.  victims 

llii  iitenant 
ItB  he  nar- 


of  this  treacherour.  massacre  were,  Father  du  Poisson,  a 
Jesuit  missionary  among  the  Arkansas ;  Father  Soulet,  a 
Capuchin  missionary  to  the  Natchez  ;  the  Sieur  de  la  Loire 
des  Ursins,  wlio  liad  been  ju<lge  and  commissary  at 
NateUez;  M.  de  Koly  and  son.  who  had  arrived  only  the 
day  before  to  visit  their  concession  on  St.  Catherine's 
Creek:  and  the  Sieur  Codere,  commandant  of  the  post  on 
the  Yazoo,  who  happened  to  he  at  Fort  Rosalie  at  the  time. 
The  Frencli  garrison  of  twenty  men,  at  Fort  St.  Claude, 
on  the  Yazoo,  also  shared  the  fate  of  assassination  ;  but  this 
was  not  until  some  weeks  later,  for  the  Natchez  did  not,  at 
first,  admit  the  Yazoo  Indians  into  the  secret  of  their  plot. 
The  total  number  of  men  killed  was  reckoned  at  not  less 
than  two  hundred  and  fifty.  Several  of  the  French  women, 
who  attempted  to  defend  their  husbands  or  brothens,  were 
cut  down  by  the  pitiless  savages ;  but  the  greater  part  of 
the  won.'Mi  and  children  were  held  up  as  captives,  and  the 
negro  slaves  were  kept  for  menial  purposes. 

When  the  tidings  of  this  horrible  nnissacre  were  car- 
ried to  New  Orleans  and  Mobile,  it  created  a  general  con- 
"^^rnation.  But  Governor  Ferier  promptly  took  measures 
of  defense  and  retaliation.  A  vessel  was  disitatched  to 
France  for  acUlitional  tr()o}>s  and  military  stores,  and  mes- 
sengers were  sent  with,  the  news,  by  way  of  Red  River 
and  the  Arkansas,  to  Fort  Charties,  in  the  Illinois.  The 
town  of  New  Orleans  was  hastilv  fortitied  bv  a  ditch  and 
embankment,  and  each  house  was  furnisiio'l  .vith  arms. 
The  governor  assembled  a  force  of  regulars  and  militia  to 
move  up  the  river  against  the  Natchez,  and  confided  the  com- 
mand of  it  to  the  Chevalier  de  Lubois,  king's  lieutenant. 

(Governor  Perier  also  sent  the  Sieur  de  Lery,*  a  capable 
officer,  familiar  witn  the  Fndian  hmguages,  to  sound  the 
Choctaws,  and  gain  over  that  inconstant  tribe  <^o  the  French 
interest.  The  Choctaws  were  piipied  uv  the  ^yiii'-hez  for 
having  niude  their  attack  upon  the  French  two  days  in  ad- 
vance of  the  time  fixed  bv  their  faiirot  of  sticks,  and,  more- 
over,  were  dissatisfied  with  the  reception  accorded  by  the 


'  Or  I^e  Sueur,  acconliiig  to  eoine  authorities. 


284 


The  Natchez  War. 


Natchez  to  their  deputies,  who  had  been  sent  thither  a  few 
days  after  the  massacre.  Under  these  circumstances,  the 
Sieur  de  Lery,  by  distributing  presents  among  the  Choctaw 
chiefs,  easily  induced  them  to  serve  tbe  French  in  the  cam- 
paign, and  he  was  followed  across  the  country  by  over 
twelve  hundred  of  their  dusky  warriors.  Entering  the 
Natchez  territory,  and  advancing  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
Great  Village,  Captain  de  Lery  and  his  Ciioctaw  army  en- 
camped about  the  28th  of  January,  1730,  to  await  the  ar- 
rival of  the  French  army  from  New  Orleans.  Still  exult- 
ing in  their  triumph,  and  not  expecting  to  be  attacked  so 
soon,  the  Natchez  were  spending  their  time  in  idle  festivi- 
ties and  carousals.  Early  the  next  morning  (the  29th),  the 
Choctaws  rushed  upon  their  village,  liberated  some  of  the 
captive  French  women  (whom  they  stripped  of  every  thing 
the  Natchez  had  left  them),  and  brought  away  a  number  of 
prisoners  and  scalps. 

In  the  following  February  the  colonial  troops  arrived 
from  the  capital,  under  the  command  of  the  Chevalier  do 
Loubois,  wl:o  laid  siege  to  the  fort  of  the  Natchez  on  St. 
Catherine's  Creek.  In  the  meantime  the  Natchez  made 
preparations  for  a  determineil  resistance;  but  upon  the  ap- 
pearance of  80  superior  a  force,  and  hearing  the  discharge 
of  French  cannon,  they  humbly  sued  for  peace,  offering  to 
restore  the  prisoners  remaining  in  their  handh,  and  forsake 
the  country.  Anxious  to  save  the  captive  women  and 
children,  Loubois  consented  to  postpone  the  attack  for  one 
day.  During  the  night  of  the  truce,  however,  the  Natchez 
withdrew  from  tlieir  fort  and  village  so  (juietly  as  not  t(» 
disturb  the  slumbers  of  their  enemies.  Their  escape  was 
due  to  a  want  of  vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  French  of- 
ficers, who  may  have  connived  at  it,  and  the  war  was  con- 
sequently ])rolonged.  Leaving  a  detachment  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  men  to  rebuild  Fort  Tiosalie,  wliich  had 
been  destroyed  by  the  Natdiez,  the  French  commander  em- 
barked with  the  renuiinder  of  his  army  for  New  Orleans. 

Some  of  the  fugitive  Natchez  sought  shelter  and  homes 
with  tlie  Chicknsaws;  ])ut  the  main  body  of  the  nation, 
under  the  lead  of  the  Sun-chief,  crossed  the  Mississippi  and 


li; 


Extinction  of  the  Natchez  Nation. 


285 


few 
the 
;taw 
■am- 
over 
the 
'  the 
y-  en- 
le  ar- 
■xuU- 
ed  80 
;st\vi- 
l1,  the 
)f  the 
thing 
.her  of 


Lrrived 

jier  «lc 

on  St. 

made 

lie  ap- 
charge 
ring  to 
'orsako 

"or  one 
atchez 
not  to 
pe  was 
i\ch  of- 
iis  con- 
ho  hun- 
Icii  had 
[lev  eui- 
lleanB. 
homes 
nation, 
Dpi  and 


eptablished  a  new  viUage  and  fort  on  Black  River,  from 
whence  they  continue  1  their  acts  of  hostility.  Thither  they 
were  pursued  by  Governor  Perier  in  January,  1731,  with 
a  force  of  one  thousand  French  and  Indians ;  and  on  the 
25th  of  that  month,  partly  by  assault,  and  parti}  by  strat- 
egy, he  reduced  their  stronghold,  capturing  the  Sun,  liis 
brother  and  nephew,  forty  warriors,  and  three  hundred  and 
eighty-seven  women  and  cliildren.  These  were  sent  to  New 
Orleans,  whence  they  were  shipped  to  St.  Domingo,  and 
sold  as  slaves  for  the  benefit  of  the  "  company."  A  renniant 
of  the  tribe,  fleeing  farther  westward,  came  in  conflict  with 
tlie  Natchitoches,  by  whom  they  were  repulsed  with  loss, 
aided  l)y  the  French  under  the  veteran  St.  Denis ;  after 
whicli  they  joined  the  C/hickasaws,  and  kept  up  a  desultory 
warfare  on  the  Frencli  settlers.* 

"  Thus  perished  the  nation  of  the  Natchez.  Their  pe- 
eulia!'  language,  which  has  been  still  })reserved  by  the  de- 
scendants of  tlie  fugitives,  and  is,  jierhaps,  now  on  the 
point  of  expiring — their  worship  (of  the  sun),  their  divis- 
ions into  nobles  and  plebeians,  their  bloody  funeral  riies — 
invite  conjecture,  and  yet  so  nearly  resemble  in  character 
the  distinctions  of  other  tribes  that  thev  do  but  excite, 
without  gratifying,  curiosity.'"  f 


*The  Natchez  lu'ver  again  appeared  as  a  distinct  nation.  After  a 
consiiU'rable  tin<e  tlu'v  moved  to  the  Muskogeos,  and  in  1835  were  re- 
(hiced  to  ;{00  Konlfi.  retniniiig  their  own  hmguage  and  line  of  Suns,  but 
without  reKtoriny  tlieir  temple  or  Hun-worship.  For  their  language,  the 
only  materials  are  the  words  preserved  hy  Le  Page  du  I'ratz  and  otlier 
early  French  writers,  and  a  vocabulary  taken  by  (iallatin,  in  182(5,  from 
the  chief  Isalialateh.  Dr.  Hrintori  traced  the  analogy  between  it  and 
the  Maya. —  Atner.  Kncydo.,  vol.  xii.,  p.  l.'>8. 

t  Bancroft's  History,  vol.  iii.,  p.  \\(\A. 

iVo^'.— In  the  vicinity  of  the  modern  city  of  Natcliez  there  are,  or 
were  formerly,  two  or  three  grotips  of  ancient  moum's  of  considerable 
size,  from  which  havi'  been  taken  numerous  relics,  sudi  as  stone 
"eapons,  pipes,  earthen  vchrcIs  covered  with  figures,  fragments  of  pot- 
tery, etc.  It  has  been  a  (luestit)n  among  local  anticjuaries  whether  these 
tumuli  were  in  any  way  the  work  of  the  Natchez  Indians.  Hut  the 
probabilities  are,  that  while  they  may  have  been  used  as  places  of  sep- 
ulture by  these  or  other  Indians,  yet  that,  if  not  mere  natural  eleva- 
tions, they  were  originally  the  work  of  tlie  more  ancient  muund  builders. 


loiiiiSSSS 


286 


The  Company  Surrenders  its  Charter. 


The  heavy  expenditures  incurred  in  prosecuting  tlie 
war  against  the  Natchez,  the  consequent  loss  of  trade  with 
other  tribes,  the  inadequate  returns  from  its  commerce  and 
mines,  and  the  iinancial  embarrassments  following  Law's 
failure,  induced  the  Company  of  the  Indies  to  solicit  leave 
of  the  king  for  a  surrender  of  its  charter  in  Louisiana. 
The  petition  was  granted;  and  on  the  10th  of  April,  1732, 
by  proclamation  of  Louis  XV.,  the  jurisdiction  and  control 
of  the  government  and  commerce  of  the  colony  reverted 
directly  to  the  French  crown.  The  Company  of  the  West 
and  its  successor,  the  Royal  India  Company,  had  held  act- 
ual possession  of  the  Louisiana  wilderness  for  fourteen 
years,  which,  upon  the  whole,  were  years  of  prosperity. 
During  this  period  the  white  population  of  the  province 
had  increased  from  something  over  one  thousand  to  five 
thousand,  and  the  number  of  negro  slaves  from  twenty  to 
two  thousand.  New  Orleans  had  been  made  the  seat  of  the 
provincial  government  and  the  chief  mart  of  trade.  The  ex- 
travagant hopes  at  first  entertained  in  regard  to  the  precious 
metals  had  not  been  realized,  but  the  search  for  them  had 
attracted  hither  many  immigrants,  some  of  whom  had  now 
made  such  progress  in  agriculture  as  to  be  self-sustaining. 
Illinois  contained  at  this  time  several  fiourishing  settle- 
ments, the  inhabitants  of  which  were  more  exclusively 
devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  than  in  any  other 
part  of  the  province. 

It  has  been  observed  by  an  Illinois  liistorian,  that  all 
industrial  enterprises  were,  to  a  great  extent,  paralyzed  by 
the  arbitrary  exactions  of  the  "com])any;"  that  the  agri- 
culturists, the  miners,  and  the  fur-traders  of  Illinois  wore 
held  in  a  sort  of  vassalage,  which  enabled  those  in  power 
to  dictate  the  price  at  which  they  should  sell  their  products, 
and  the  amount  they  should  pay  them  for  im]>orted  mer- 
chandise;  and  that  the  interest  of  the  company  was  always 
at  variance  witn  that  of  the  jtroducer. 

All  of  thin  might  have  beetj,  and  perhaps  was,  sub- 
stantially true.  But  "whoever  takes  a  correct  view  of  the 
transactions  of  the  Mississippi  Company,"  says  Major  Stod- 
dard, "must  be  ccnvinced  that  it  was  of  infinite  utility  to 


Benefits  of  its  Sway  in  Louisiana. 


287 


the 
with 
5  and 
jaw's 
lea^ve 
^iana. 
1732, 
outrol 
v^erted 
,  West 
id  act- 
urteen 
ipcrity. 
fovince 
to  five 
enty  to 
t  of  the 
The  ex- 
prccioiia 
eiii  had 
uul  now 
ttiining. 
Bettle- 

■lusively 
jiy  other 


Louisiana, perhaps  the  preservation  of  it."*  Judge  Breese 
also  takes  a  very  favorable  view  of  the  rule  of  the  great  cor- 
poration in  the  Illinois.     He  writes  : 

"  Their  sway  here  was  more  in  name  than  in  fact ;  for, 
setting  aside  their  power  to  grant  lands,  all  real  control  of 
the  people  (in  Illinois)  was  with  the  Jesuits.  Their  busi- 
ness pursuits  were  but  little  interfered  with,  and  no  arbi- 
trary or  forced  exactions  of  their  little  abundance  were 
made.  They  did  not  tind,  as  is  too  often  the  case  in  others, 
in  this  overshadowing  monopoly,  whose  sole  principle  of 
aggregation  was  wealth,  a  cruel  and  heartless  tyrant,  ready 
and  willing,  in  the  various  modes  such  corporatiouH  can  de- 
vise, to  plunder  them  of  their  small  revenues,  or  oppress 
them  in  any  form.  In  their  relations  to  it,  it  was  as  the 
benefactor  to  the  benefited ;  and  though  the  fortunes  of  its 
proprietors  were  wrecked,  the  colony  itself  received  a  new 
and  inmiense  impulse  from  its  varied  operations."  f 


* "  Iliatorical  Sketches  of  Louisiana"  (Phila.,  Pa.,  1812),  p.  01. 
t"  Early  History  of  Illinois,"  p.  180. 


that  all 
ly/ed  by 
Ihe  agri- 
H)\s  were 
in  power 
l»r()dui'ts, 

(teil  iii^'i'- 
lis  always 


!l 


Iwas,  svib- 

Iw  of  the 

lijt)r  Stod- 

utility  to 


288 


Louisiana  Under  the  Crown. 


CHAPTER   XV 


17^2-1752. 


LOUISIANA    UNDER   THE    DIRECT   GOVERNMENT    OF   THE    CROWN. 


When  the  Royal  India  Company,  successor  to  the 
Company  of  the  West,  gave  up  its  charter  and  vast  privi- 
leges to  the  crown,  another  government  was  at  once  organ- 
ized for  the  Province  of  Louisiana,  which  severed  it  from 
New  France,  and  continued  Illinois  as  a  dependency  of 
Louisiana.  By  letters  patent  of  the  7th  of  May,  1732,  the 
Superior  Council  of  the  province  was  re-organized,  with 
Perier  as  governor,  Salmon  as  intendant  commissary,  and 
Loubois  and  d'Artaguette  (Diron)  as  king's  lieutenants. 
The  ecclesiastical  affairs  of  the  colony  were  under  the 
more  immediate  supervision  of  a  vicar-general,  residing  in 
New  Orleans. 

In  1733  the  Canadian,  Bienville,  much  to  his  own  sat- 
isfaction and  that  of  his  friends,  was  re-appointed  governor 
of  Louisiana  in  place  of  Perier,  ^vho  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  lieutenant-general  as  a  reward  for  his  important 
services  in  the  colony.  The  new  commandant-general 
reached  New  Orleans  early  in  1734,  and  the  Sieur  Perier, 
resigning  the  government  into  his  hands,  immediately  em- 
barked for  Prance. 

During  that  year  C!lai)tain  IMerre  d'Artaguette  was  ap- 
pointed by  Governor  Bienville  major-commandant  for  the 
district  of  the  Illinois,  with  head-quarters  at  Fort  Chartres. 
He  was  a  young(>r  brother  of  Diron  d'Artaguette,  the  com- 
missaire  ordomiateur  of  Louisiana,  and  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  men  in  the  province.  Pierre  d'Artaguette  had 
Herved  with  gallantry  in  the  Natchez  war,  and  was  after- 
ward sent  by  Perier  to  command  at  the  new  fort,  which 


The  Chickasaw  Nation, 


289 


)   the 
privi- 
)rgan- 
,  from 
;icy  of 
52,  the 
1,  with 
ry,  ami 
enaiits. 
er  the 
ling  i»^ 

iwn  sat- 
iveruor 
to  the 
povtant 
.  general 
Perier, 
ely  em- 

vas  ap- 
for  the 
thartres. 
the  con- 
he  most 
[ette  had 
lis  after- 
It,  which 


was  built  on  the  site  of  tlie  old  one  at  Natchez.*  After 
his  transfer  to  the  Illinois  he  had  no  pleasant  path  to  tread, 
as  was  the  case  with  his  predecessors. 

The  Chickasaw  Indians — the  Iroquois  of  the  South — 
had  all  along  preferred  an  alliance  with  the  English  colo- 
nists of  Carolina,  and  had  been  stimulated  by  artful  emis- 
saries of  the  latter  (if  they  required  any  stimulus)  to  re- 
peated deeds  of  rapine  and  blood  against  the  French,  who 
were  waiting  a  favorable  opportunity  to  make  them  feel 
the  weight  of  their  resentment.  The  Chickasaws  were 
known  to  Europeans,  or  at  least  to  the  Spaniards,  from  the 
time  of  De  Soto.  They  inhabited  the  country  intermediate 
between  Upper  and  Lower  Louisiana,  extending  eastward 
from  the  Mississippi  River  into  Alabama,  and  northward 
through  Western  Tennessee.  They  were  a  less  numerous 
people  thr.n  the  Cherokees,  or  even  the  Choctaws,  but  they 
made  up  in  craft  and  pugnacity  what  they  lacked  in  num- 
bers. The  presence  of  the  Chickasaws  in  roaming  bands 
on  the  eastern  banks  of  the  Mississippi  not  only  rendered 
navigation  perilous,  but  seriously  interfered  with  trade  be- 
tween Kaskaskia  and  New  Orleans,  and  many  of  the 
French  boatmen  and  myagcurs  successively  fell  victims  to 
their  muskets  and  tomahawks.  Such,  indeed,  was  the  ani- 
mosity of  tins  people  that  they  sent  emissaries  to  tlie  tribes 
of  the  Illinois  to  detach  them  from  their  long-established 
friendship  with  the  French  settlers,  and  to  persuade  them 
to  make  war  upon  and  exterminate  the  latter.  But  the 
Illinois  rejected  the  proposition  with  scorn,  and   sent   a 


*  The  new  Fort  Rosalie,  as  seen  and  described  by  Captain  Pittman, 
in  17(')(),  stood  on  the  east  side  of  th(>  Mississippi,  about  six  hundred 
und  seventy  yards  from  the  river,  and  at  an  elevation  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  feet  above  the  nsual  water  line.  The  fort  was  an  irregular 
pentagon,  without  baations,  and  was  built  of  sawn  or  hewed  plank  five 
inches  thick.  The  buildings  within  the  walls  were  a  store-hoiise,  a 
house  for  the  officers,  a  barrack  for  the  soldiers,  and  a  guard-house. 
Tliesc  houses  were  constructed  of  framed  timbers,  the  spaces  between 
being  filled  with  mud  and  Spanish  moss.  The  fort  was  surrounded  on 
three  sides  by  a  dry  ditch,  and  the  fourth  or  north  side  was  fenced  with 
pickets.  Some  traces  of  the  ruins  of  this  fort  are  said  to  bo  still  visible 
at  Natchez. 

19 


B^BWOT 


290 


Louisiana  Under  the  Crown. 


deputation,  headed  by  their  principal  chief,  Checagou,  to 
New  Orleans  to  otter  their  services  to  the  governor.  In  an 
interview  with  Bienville  the  chief  presented  the  pipe  of 
friendship,  saying:  "  This  is  the  pipe  of  peace  or  war;  you 
have  but  to  speak,  and  our  braves  will  strike  the  nations 
that  are  your  foes."  * 

By  authority  of  the  King  of  France  an  invasion  of  the 
Chickasaw  country  was  now  projected,  with  the  three-fold 
purpose  of  re-establishing  safe  coniniunication  between  the 
northern  and  southern  districts  of  the  province,  of  reducing 
those  truculent  savages  to  submission,  and  of  driving  the 
English  traders  from  among  them.  The  French  were  not 
wanting  in  a  plausible  pretext  for  commencing  hostilities. 
Many  of  the  N^atchez  Indians  who  escaped  the  war  of  ex- 
tirpation against  them  had  taken  refuge  among  the  Chick- 
asaws,  and  become  incorporated  with  that  nation,  where 
they  continued  to  cherish  their  hatred  of  the  French.  Bo- 
fore  the  beginning  of  the  year  1736,  Governor  Bienville 
made  a  demand  on  the  Ohickasaws  for  the  surrender  of 
those  fugitives,  and  foreseeing  that  his  demand  was  not 
likely  to  be  complied  with,  he  assembled  an  army  to  mareli 
against  them.  Great  preparations  were  made,  considering 
the  military  strength  of  the  colony,  to  render  the  ex[)edi- 
tion  successful.  In  addition  to  the  regulars  and  militia 
raised  in  Southern  Louisiana,  the  Governor  sent  Captain 
Leblanc  up  the  river  to  Fort  Cliartres  with  orders  to  the 
Sieur  d'Artaguette,  commandant  of  the  district,  to  get  in 
readiness  the  troops  under  his  command,  together  witli 
such  of  the  Illinois  and  other  Indians  as  could  be  induced 
to  join  the  expedition.  D'Artaguette  was  further  ordered 
to  be  in  the  Chickasaw  country,  with  his  forces,  by  the 
10th  of  the  ensuing  May,  and  to  there  await  the  arrival  of 
the  comnumder-in-chief  and  his  army  from  the  south. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1736,  Bienville  embarked  at  New 
Orleans,  with  a  force  of  five  hundred  and  fifty-four  French- 
men and  forty-five  negroes,  for  Fort  Mobile,  the  rendez- 
vous of  the  troops.  Resting  here  until  Easter-day,  the  first 
of  April,  the  army  ])egan  to  ascend  the  river  in  bateaux 


*  Bancroft's  History,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  ;5(J5. 


Bienville's  Expedition  Against  the  Chickasaws.       291 


to 
an 
of 
rou 

oil  9 

the 
fold 
I  the 
icmg 
r  tbe 
e  not 
lities. 
)f  ex- 
31nck- 
wliere 
.    Be- 
envUlc 
ider  of 
;aB  not 
»  riiart'h 
kidcring 

expedi- 

nulitia 

Japtaiu 
to  the 
get  in 

er  with 

I  induced 
ordered 

|,  by  tlie 
'rival  ot 

^th. 
at  Hew 
l^reiieh- 
rcndoz- 

[,  the  tii'st 
bateaux 


and  pirogues,  which  moved  in  line  by  force  of  oars.  On 
the  20th  the  army  reached  a  place  called  Tombeebe  (Tom- 
bigbee),  to  which  the  governor  had  sent  a  company  of  sol- 
diers nine  months  before  to  build  a  fort,  intending  it  as  a 
place  of  defense  and  a  depot  of  supplies.  This  fort  was 
on  the  Tombigbee  River,  and  within  the  territory  of  the 
Choctaws.  The  artillery  which  the  French  had  brought 
with  them  was  now  placed  in  position,  and  its  discharge 
broke,  for  the  first  time,  the  stillness  of  the  surrounding 
forest.  Here  the  Choctaw  chiefs,  in  consideration  of  a 
certain  quantity  of  merchandise,  joined  Bienville's  expe- 
dition with  over  six  .hundred  of  their  warriors.  Re-em- 
barking on  the  4th  of  May,  and  continuing  to  ascend  the 
river,  the  troops  reached  the  place  of  debarkation  on  the 
24th  of  that  month.  They  were  now  within  seven  or  eight 
hagues  of  the  nearest  and  principal  Chickasaw  village, 
which  was  situated  only  a  few  miles  from  the  present 
county  town  of  Pontotoc,  in  ^Northern  Mississippi, — a  town 
which  still  preserves  the  name  of  the  Indian  stronghold. 

On  the  25th  of  May  (two  weeks  behind  the  pre- 
arranged time),  the  commander  formed  his  army  in  two 
columns,  and  marched  to  within  two  leagues  of  the  C^liick- 
asaw  village,  when  he  halted  for  the  night.  P]arly  the 
next  morning  the  impetuous  Choctaws  rushed  forward 
upon  the  village,  expecting  to  take  it  by  a  coup  de  main. 
But  they  found  the  Chickasaws  awake  and  ready  to  receive 
them ;  and  not  only  so,  but  protected  b.y  a  strong  fortifi- 
cation of  earth  and  timbers,  which  had  been  constructed 
under  the  supervision  of  some  resident  Englisli  traders. 
During  that  day  Bienville  made  two  vigorous  attempts  to 
carry  the  enemy's  works  by  storm,  but  was  repulsed  both 
times,  and  sustained  a  loss  of  thirty-two  killed  and  sixty 
wounded,  including  several  commissioned  officers.  He 
was,  therefore,  compelled  to  draw  oft  his  army,  leaving  his 
(lead  on  the  field  of  battle. 

During  the  night  of  the  26th,  a  party  of  Indians  ar- 
rived from  another  village,  as  they  claimed,  to  present  the 
calumet  and  a  letter  to  Bienville;  but,  provoked  by  the  re- 
verses of  the  day,  he  refused  to  receive  them,  and  ordered 


292 


Louisiana  Under  the  Crown. 


his  Indians  to  attack  them,  which  they  did.*  By  this  rash 
conduct,  the  commanding  general  probably  lost  his  only 
opportunity  of  opening  communication  with  D'Artaguette 
and  his  associate  officers,  who  were  then  prisoners  in  the 
hands  of  the  Chickasaws. 

On  the  next  day  there  was  some  skirmishing  between 
the  Choctaw  and  Chickasaw  warriors,  but  without  any  de- 
cisive result.  Discouraged  at  his  unexpected  failure,  con- 
vinced of  his  inability  to  reduce  the  enemy's  formidable 
works  without  cannon  and  the  means  of  siege,  and  hearing 
nothing  from  the  army  that  was  to  co-operate  with  him 
from  the  Illinois,  Bienville  now  reluctantly  abandoned  the 
expedition.  Dismissing  his  Indian  auxiliaries,  he  made  a 
retrograde  march  to  his  boats,  and  descended  the  river  to 
Fort  Tombecbe.     On  arriving  there,  it  is  told  that  he  threw 


the 


iron  cannon 


belonging  to 


the  fort  into  the  river,  to 


prevent  their  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  re- 
turned to  New  Orleans  covered  with  humiliation  at  his  dis- 
astrous defeat. 

Prior  to  these  occurrences,  however,  Major  d'Arta- 
guette  had  set  out  from  Fort  Chartres  in  the  last  week  of 
February,  with  thirty  regular  soldiers,  one  hundred  volun- 
teers (including  the  Jesuit  father  Senat)  and  two  hundred 
Illinois  and  Missouri  Indians,  and  descended  the  Missis- 
sippi to  the  site  of  Fort  Prudhomme,  at  the  Third  Chicka- 
saw Bluff.  Here  he  was  soon  after  joined  by  the  Sieur  de 
Vincennes,  from  the  Wabash,  with  twenty  Frenchmen  and 
about  one  hundred  Miamis  braves.  The  Sieur  de  Mon- 
cherval  was  also  dail}'^  expected,  with  a  contingent  of  Ca- 
hokias  and  Michigamies  from  the  Illinois.  Leaving  a  de- 
tachment at  the  river  landing,  to  guard  the  canoes  and 
heavier  baggage.  Major  d'Artaguette  set  forward  on  his 
march  into  the  Chickasaw  country,  and  advanced  by  slow 
stages  in  order  to  give  Moncherval  a  chance  to  overtake 
him.  But  that  officer  did  not  arrive  in  time  to  participate 
in  the  approaching  battle.  Having  reached  the  appointed 
rendezvous,  which  was  on  the  head-waters  of  the  Yalo- 
busha, on  the  9th  of  May,  D'Artaguette  waited  ten  days 


*  Dumont's  Historical  Memoir  of  Louisiana. 


D'Artaguette's  Ill-fated  Expedition. 


293 


'ash 

3nly 

lette 

the 

ween 
y  de- 
,  con- 
dahle 
taring 
1  him 
;d  the 
lade  a 
iver  to 
threw 
vcr,  to 
lud  re- 
liis  dis- 

d'Arta- 
,veek  of 
volun- 
uiidred 
Missis- 
Ichicka- 
lieur  de 
nen  and 
e  Mon- 
of  Ca- 
Ing  a  de- 
loes  and 
on  his 
by  slow 
,vertakc 
[rticipate 
>pointed 
e  Yalo- 
;en  days 


for  the  appearance    of  the  commander-in-chief,  ready  to 
unite  with  him  attacking  the  enemy. 

Meanwhile,  according  to  Mr.  Gayarre,  a  courier 
reached  his  camp  with  a  letter,  said  to  have  been  written 
by  Bienville,  stating  that  in  consequence  of  unexpected  ob- 
stacles and  delays,  he  would  not  be  able  to  reach  the  Ohick- 
asaws  at  the  time  designated,  and  authorizing  him  to  act  on 
his  own  military  judgment.  D'Artaguette  thereupon  con- 
vened a  council  of  war,  composed  of  his  principal  officers 
and  the  Indian  chiefs,  and  at  this  council  it  was  resolved  to 
make  an  immediate  attack  upon  the  enemy's  stronghold. 
Accordingly,  about  the  20th  of  May,  having  formed  his 
impatient  forces  in  order  of  battle — forces  who  had  the 
courage  to  strike,  without  the  discretion  to  wait  the  proper 
time — the  commander  led  them  against  the  Chickasaws. 
The  charge  was  daring  and  impetuous,  and  the  enemy  was 
successively  driven  from  two  of  his  intrenched  positions, 
but  in  the  assault  upon  the  third  D'Artaguette  was  se- 
verely wounded  and  disabled,  at  the  moment  when  the 
victory  seemed  within  his  grasp.  Panic-struck  at  the  fall 
of  their  leader,  his  Indian  confederates,  the  Illinois  and 
Missouris,  precipitately  retreated,  and  were  hotly  pursued 
for  twenty-five  leagues  ])y  the  Chickasaws,  in  the  flush  of 
triumph.  The  Mi  amis,  from  the  Wabash,  appear  to  have 
been  guilty  of  deliberate  treachery,  they  having  been  pre- 
viously tampered  with  liy  English  agents.* 

Father  Senat  and  the  chivalrous  DeVincennes  might 
have  botli  escaped,  but  the  former,  true  to  his  profession, 
stayed  to  console  the  wounded  and  dying,  while  the  latter 
was  so  devoted  to  his  unfortunate  chief,  that  he  would  not 
leave  him  in  peril,  "preferring  rather  to  share  his  captivity, 
and,  if  necessary,  to  die  by  his  side."  As  a  consequence, 
they,  with  some  fifteen  other  Frenchmen,  including  a 
brother  of  Captain  Louis  St.  Ange,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Chickasaws.  The  prisoners  were,  at  first,  civilly  treated  by 
their  captors,  who  expected  to  receive  a  large  reward  from 

*See  "  History  of  Louisiaua,"  by  Chas.  Gayarr^  (New  Orleans,  1885), 
3d  ed.,  vol.  II.,  pp.  485-6. 


294 


Louisiana  Under  the  Crown. 


the  Frencli  for  tlieir  safe  return.  But,  after  the  discomfiture 
and  retreat  of  Bienville's  army,  the  Chickasaw  chiefs  aban- 
doned hope  of  securing  an  adequate  ransom  for  their  pris- 
oners, and  prepared  to  make  them  the  victims  of  a  sa/age 
triumph.  To  this  end  they  were  taken  to  a  neighboring 
field  and  bound  by  fours  to  stakes;  and  neither  valor  nor 
piety  could  save  them  from  being  tortured  to  death  by  slow 
and  intermitting  hres.  Two  of  the  number  were  reserved 
to  be  exchanged  for  a  Chickasaw  warrior,  who  had  been 
made  prisoner  by  the  French. 

After  this  cruel  manner  perished  the  gallant  D'Arta- 
guette,  the  faithful  Senat,  and  the  lieroic  De  Vincennes. 
We  would  not  withhold  the  meed  of  sympathy  due  them 
in  their  direful  fate.  At  the  same  time  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that,  in  hazarding  an  assault  upon  the  enemy  in 
his  fortified  position,  before  the  arrival  of  the  main  army 
under  Bienville,  they  invited  the  very  fate  that  befell  them, 
and  destroyed  the  chances  of  French  victory  in  that  cam- 
paign. 

The  Chickasaws  were  now  more  defiant  than  ever,  and 
being  elated  with  vanity  over  their  success  in  repelling  the 
attacks  of  two  French  and  Indian  armies,  they  sent  a  depu- 
tation of  chiefs  to  announce  their  triumph  to  the  English 
authorities  in  Carolina,  with  whom  they  renewed  their  alli- 
ance, and  by  whom  they  were  supplied  with  arms  and 
amnmnition,  as  well  as  merchandise. 

Ambitious  to  retrieve  his  own  military  reputation,  and 
also  to  recover  the  lost  prestige  of  the  French  arms  in 
Louisiana,  Governor  Bienville  resolyed  upon  a  second  cam- 
paign against  the  Chickasaws ;  but  it  was  not  until  after 
receiving  reinforcements  fi'om  France  that  he  was  able  to 
renew  this  arduous  enterprise.  In  the  spring  of  1739,  hav- 
ing previously'  obtained  the  sanction  of  the  French  Minister 
of  Colonies,  he  again  began  active  pr«^paration8  for  the  sub- 
jugation of  that  fierce  tribe,  which  had  so  successfully  de- 
fied his  power  and  authority.  Orders  were  sent  out  to 
commandants  of  the  various  military  posts  in  the  province 
to  furnish  as  many  troops  as  possible,  which  resulted  in  the 
assembling  of  the  largest  and  best  appointed  army  hitherto 


Bienville s  Second  Campaign. 


295 


tr.re 
biin- 
pris- 
,  /age 
jr.iig 
r  nor 
'  slow 
erved 
been 

Arta- 
ennes. 
:  them 
lot  be 
;my  in 
I  army 
,  them, 
t  cam- 

er,  and 
ing  the 
I  dcpu- 
nglish 
loir  alli- 
ns  and 


seen  in  LouiHiana.  The  general  reudezvons  was  at  tirst 
fixed  on  the  St.  Francis  River,  just  above  its  junction  with 
the  Mississippi,  where  a  fort  and  cabins  were  erected  to 
serve  as  a  basis  of  operations.  The  coniniandant-gcneral 
arrived  at  this  post  toward  tlie  end  of  June,  and  in  August 
he  embarked  his  army  and  moved  up  to  tlie  mouth  of  Wolf 
River,  a  small  stream  which  falls  into  the  Mississippi  near 
the  present  city  of  Mempliis.  Here,  on  the  bluff,  another 
and  larger  fort  was  built,  with  a  house  for  the  commandant, 
barracks  for  the  soldiers,  store-houses,  etc.  It  received  the 
name  of  Fort  As8umi»tion,  because  the  troops  landed  liere 
on  that  day. 

At  this  fort  tlie  army  received  reinforcements  from  the 
north.  The  iirst  to  arrive  was  the  Illinois  force,  composed 
of  about  two  hundred  Frenchmen  and  three  hundred  In- 
dians, commanded  by  Alphonse  de  Buissoniere,  who  had 
succeeded  the  unfortunate  D'Artaguette  as  commandant  at 
Fort  Chartres.  After  that  came  Captain  de  Celeron  and 
Lieutenant  de  St.  Laurent,  with  thirty  cadets  from  Canada, 
and  a  large  following  of  Indians.  These  united  troops  made 
a  formidable  army,  numbering  twelve  hundred  Frenchmen, 
and  double  as  many  Indians  and  negroes.  Owing  in  part 
to  the  difficulty  in  procuring  supplies,  which  had  to  be 
brought  a  long  distance,  this  large  body  of  troops  was  al- 
lowed to  remain  here  in  inactivity  for  six  months.*  In  the 
meantime,  }irovisions  became  so  scarce  that  they  had  to  kill 
and  eat  their  horses,  and  sickness  breaking  out  in  the  camp 
carried  off'  a  great  number.  Such  were  the  ravages  of 
disease  and  famine,  that  by  the  first  of  March,  1740,  not 
more  than  two  hundred  French  soldiers  were  fit  for  active 
service. 

In  these  straits.  Governor  Bienville  sent  the  Sieur  de 
Celeron,  with  a  body  of  French  and  Indian  troops,  to  the 
Chickasaws,  with  orders,  in  case  they  sued  for  peace,  to  grant 
it  in  his  name.  When  Celeron  arrived  with  his  force  in  sight 
of  the  enemy's  fort,  the  Chickasaws,  believing  him  to  be 


*  Mr.  Gayarr6  attributes  Bienville's  inaction  to  his  jealousy  of 
Noailles,  who  had  been  sent  to  command  the  army. 


296 


Louisiana  under  the  Crown. 


followed  by  the  whole  Freiicii  army,  sent  to  him  to  ask  for 
peace,  promising  to  renounce  their  English  alliance  and  re- 
sume friendly  relations  with  the  French.  To  confirm  this 
agreement,  a  party  of  their  chiefs  returned  with  Celeron  to 
Fort  Assumption,  and  there  entered  into  a  treaty  of  pacifi- 
cation with  the  governor,  which  was  ratified  with  the  cus- 
tomary Indian  ceremonies.  Bienville  now  dismissed  his 
Indian  auxiliaries,  having  first  pa'd  them  oft*  in  goods,  after 
which  he  demolished  his  two  forts,  as  being  of  no  f'Tther 
use,  and  re-embarktd  for  Xew  Orleans.* 

So  ended,  in  April,  1740,  the  second  campaign  against 
the  Chickasaws.  It  was  less  inglorious  and  disastrous 
than  the  first,  but  its  results  were  far  from  satisfactory,  and 
by  no  means  commensurate  witli  the  costly  preparations 
that  had  been  made.  Having  failed  to  redeem  his  tarnished 
military  record,  and  the  prestige  of  the  French  arms  in  the 
colony,  the  commandant-general  thereby  incurred  the  dis- 
pleasure of  his  sovereign,  and  for  this  and  other  reasons  he 
was,  in  no  long  time,  removed  from  ofiice.  Toward  the 
close  of  the  year  1742,  he  was  superseded  by  Pierre  Fran- 
cois de  Rigaud,  Man^uis  do  Vaudreuil-Cavagnal,  a  native 
of  Quebec,  and  a  man  of  distinguished  family  and  social 
connections. 

Thus  closed  the  otHcial  career  of  Jean  liaptiste  le 
Moyiie,  Sieur  de  Bienville,  in  Louisiana, — a  career  which, 
with  some  interruptions,  extended  through  a  period  of 
forty-three  years,  and  which  is  without  a  parallel  in  French- 
American  history.  Born  at  Montreal,  in  February,  1(380, 
he  was  nineteen  years  the  junior  of  his  celebrated  brother, 
D'lberville,  who  introduced  him  when  a  mere  lad  into  the 
naval  service,  took  him  with  him  to  Hudson's  Bay,  and 
afterward  on  his  first  colonizing  expedition  to  the  Missis- 
sippi. Age  and  care  had  now  cooled  tlu  ardor  tind  energy 
of  Bienville's  prime,  and  the  luster  of  the  honors  achieved 
in  former  vears  was  obscured  under  a  cloud  of  cou*'  cen- 
sure,  some  of  wliich,  at  least,  was  undeserved.     In  May, 


*  For  more  detailed  accountH  of  this  Chicikasaw  war,  soe  DuiiKMit's, 
Martin's,  and  Gayarro's  Histories  of  T-ouisiaua.  The  account  by  Dii- 
:iiont  va  the  earliest  and  most  authentic. 


Reiirement  of  Governor  Bienville. 


297 


L  for 
il  re- 
.  tliis 
on  to 
acifi- 

CU9- 

d  his 
,  after 
-rtlier 


o-ainst 
Lstrouft 


■7' 


and 


i-utions 
•uished 
}  in  tiio 
:he  dirt- 
,son8  lie 
ard  the 
e  Fran- 
uative 
I  social 

Dtistc  le 
which, 
Lnod  of 
JFrench- 
•y,  1080, 
|i)rother, 
nto  the 
|iav,  and 
MisBis- 
n  energy 
lichieved 
|u-'   -ien- 
n  May, 

DunuMit'fi, 
|it  by  Du- 


1743,  he  sailed  from  New  Orleans  for  France,  thus  leaving 
Louisiana  forever.  Although  under  the  displeasure  of  the 
court  the  colonists  were  loud  in  expressing  their  regrets  at 
his  departure  ;  and  whatever  errors  or  mistakes,  insepara- 
ble from  human  nature,  he  may  have  committed,  his  pop- 
ularity in  the  province,  where  he  had  mostly  lived  from 
early  manhood  to  old  age,  had  never  been  seriously  shaken. 
He  has  been  justly  styled  the  Father  of  the  Louisiana  col- 
ony, of  which  his  brother  I)' Iberville  was  the  fornder. 
He  left  behind  him  a  code,  sometimes  called  Le  Code  Noir, 
which  was  first  promulgated  in  1724,  regulating  the  condi- 
tion of  the  slaves,  banishing  the  Jews,  and  proliibiting  the 
exercise  of  every  relig'on  except  the  Roman  Catholic.  This 
code,  with  some  modilications,  remained  in  force  in  Louis- 
iana until  the  cession  of  that  country  to  the  government 
of  the  United  States,  when  it  was  abolished,  excepting 
80  much  of  it  as  related  to  the  African  slaves.  After  re- 
turning to  France,  Bienville  lived  for  over  twenty  years  in 
dignilied  retirement  nt  Paris. 

But  to  return  to  Louisiana.  After  the  peace  of  1740 
with  the  (^hickasaws,  all  the  other  aboriginal  tril)cs  in  the 
immediate  Valley  of  the  Mississippi  recognized  the  domin- 
ion of  France,  and  became  allies  or  friends  of  her  colonists. 
Trade  with  the  natives  was  now  renewed  and  enlarged, 
and  agriculture,  freed  from  former  restrictions,  took  on  a 
new  life.  The  culture  of  fruit  became  general.  The  or- 
ange, the  lemon,  and  the  fig  tree  began  to  blossom  about 
the  houses  on  the  Lower  Mississippi,  and  near  the  shores 
of  the  gulf;  while  farther  to  the  north  the  apple,  the  peach, 
the  apricot,  and  the  plum  were  successfully  grown.  The 
sweet  potaioe  and  the  melon,  extending  over  a  wide  range 
of  latitude,  also  contributed  largely  to  the  sustenance  of 
the  people.  Sugar-cane  was  brought  by  tiie  Jesuits  from 
St.  Domingo  as  early  as  1744,  and  was  first  cultivated  by 
them  in  their  gardens  at  New  Orleans.*     It  was  before  thiw 


*  In  175H,  M.  d«^  IJreuil  opcmnl  r.  HUgiir  plantation  on  a  largo  scalo, 
and  erected  the  first  HUgar  mill  in  LouiHiana.  His  plantation  occupied 
the  lower  part  of  New  Orleans,  known  as  the  su])urb  of  Ht.  Marigny. — 
Reynolda'  Pioneer  History,  second  edition,  p.  64. 


SPHRI 


298 


Louisiana  Under  the  Crown. 


time  that  indigo  began  to  be  raised  for  export.  The  cotton 
phmt  was  not  introduced  until  some  years  later,  when  it 
was  successfully  cultivated  as  far  north  as  the  Ohio.  Every 
vessel  arriving  from  France  added  to  the  population  of  the 
southern  settlements;  and  many  Canadians,  fleeing  from 
the  rigor  of  their  northern  winters,  sought  homes  and  hap- 
piness in  the  mere  genial  climate  of  the  Illinois.  Under 
the*  stimulus  of  private  and  associate  enterprise,  commerce 
between  the  northern  and  southern  districts  of  the  prov- 
ince, and  between  New  Orleans  and  foreign  ports,  was 
largely  augmented,  Cargoes  of  flour,  bacon,  tallow,  [lelts 
a!id  lead  were  animally  transported  in  jateaux  to  New 
Orleans,  and  thence  reshippod  to  the  West  Indies  or  to 
France,  in  exchange  for  rice,  Lugar,  indigo,  and  goods  of 
European  manufacture.  The  dift'erent  districts  of  the  pi  ev- 
ince were  mutually  dependent,  and,  by  means  of  the  Mis- 
sissijjpi  and  its  numerous  large  tributaries,  supplied  with 
focility  each  other's  wants.  Upon  the  whole,  the  decade 
from  1742  to  1752  was  one  of  unwonted  prosperity  in  the 
French  history  of  Louifciana.-'^ 

After  some  ten  years  of  comparative  peace  and  quiet, 
the  Chickasaws,  notwithstanding  their  existing  treaty  obli- 
gations, renewed  their  depredations  upon  the  French  colo- 
nists, and  again  interruj)ted  their  trade  on  the  Missi8^'ippi 
River.  To  curb  the  marauding  disposition  of  these  savages, 
and  coerce  them  into  submission.  Governor  de  Vaudreuil  un- 
dertook another  armed  expedition  to  their  forest  fastiicsses. 
Embarking  at  New  Orleans,  in  1752,  with  seven  hundred 
regular  soldiers,  he  was  joined  on  the  way  by  a  horde  of 
Choctaw  braves,  ready  for  the  fray.  His  route  was  up  the 
Mobile  and  T,)mbigbee  Rivers,  the  same  as  that  taken  by 
Bienville  in  1736.  lie  had  cannon,  munitions,  and  supplies 
in  abundance;  y^t,  like  his  predecessor,  he  failed  to  van- 
quish the  stubborn  Chickasaws,  who  avoided  an  open  battle, 
and  shut  themselves  up  in  their  fortresses.  The  French 
commander,  however,  destroyed   some   of   their  deserted 


•  Davidson  and  Muve's  History,  p.  127. 


The  Beginrdng  of  Vineennes. 


299 


>tton 
an  it 
Ivery 
f  the 
from 
[  hap- 
Jiider 
laerce 

prov- 
3,  was 
r,  jielts 
)  New 
5  or  to 
lods  of 
e  piov- 
le  Mis- 
ad  witli 

decade 
V  in  the 

|d  (luiet, 
iity  obli- 


villages,  and  left  a  strong  garrison  at  Fort  Tombecbe  to 
liold  them  in  restraint. 

Reference  having  been  made  to  the  Sieur  de  Vineennes, 
and  to  the  sad  fate  that  befell  him  in  the  lirst  campaign  of 
the  Chickasaw  war,  the  inquiring  reader  may  desire  to 
know  sometliing  more  of  his  history,  and  also  of  the  ori- 
gin of  the  French  village  (now  city)  wliich  is  indissolubly 
linked  with  his  memory.  Jean  Baptiste  Bissot,  Sieur  de 
Vineennes  was  the  tenth  child  of  M.  Francois  Bissot.  a 
leading  merehant  of  Q.iebee,  and  was  there  born  in  Janu- 
ary, 1688.  He  appears  to  have  been  a  relative  of  Joliet, 
the  explorer,  who  was  probably  an  uncle  ly  marriage. 
Early  bred  to  the  profession  of  anns,  young  I)e  Vineennes 
was  sent  out  to  the  West,  where  he  soon  became  noted  for 
his  uetivit}'  and  enterprise.  In  1704,  with  a  l>arty  of  Cana- 
dian troops,  he  attacked  an  Ottawa  band,  and  rescued  from 
them  some  Iroquois  prisoners  that  had  been  taken  in  viola- 
tion of  treaties,  thus  averting  a  cause  of  war  with  the  latter 
nation.  In  the  autumn  of  1705,  he  was  sent  by  Governor 
de  Vaudreuil*  on  a  mission  to  the  Miamis,  who  then  prin- 
cipally occupied  the  te»"Ptory  immediately  to  the  north-west 
of  the  Upper  Wabash.  In  1712  he  took  part  in  the  defense 
of  Detroit  from  an  invasion  of  the  Fox  Indians,  and  during 
that  year  was  again  sent  as  an  agent  to  the  Miamis. 

As  early  as  1719,  De  Vineennes  probably  estaldished, 
or  aided  in  establishing,  the  trading  post  on  the  Wabash 
whieh  still  bears  his  name;  for  it  was  about  this  time  that 
Fort  Ouatanou,  higher  up  the  river,  was  also  founded  by 
the  French.  A  more  ancient  date  than  thi^  has  been 
claimed  for  the  first  settlement  at  Vineennes,  but  it  <loubt- 
less  originated  in  the  eonfomuling  of  the  Wabash  und 
Lower  Ohio  together  as  one  stream. 

"Before  the  close  of  the  year  1702  (sayp  Dillon's  His- 
tory of  Indiaiui,  p.  21),  the  Sieur  .iuchereau,  a  Canadian 
otHeer,  assisted  by  the  Jesuit  missioiutry  Mermet,  made  an 


"This  was  Philippe  do  Ixi^ivud  Marqnipi  do  Vmulrouil,  \\\\u  had 
boon  appointed  governor  of  Canada  in  170:^  t(.  Knceeod  M.  (U>  Callieres. 
Ho  was  the  father  of  that  IMarqnis  de  Vaudreuil,  who  became  succes- 
pivoly  governor  of  r.ouisiana  and  of  Canada. 


300 


Louisiana  under  the  Crown. 


i 

1 11;^ 


attempt  to  establish  a  post  on  the  Ohio,  near  the  mouth  of 
that  river;  or,  according  to  some  authorities,  on  the  Wabash 
at  the  site  now  occupied  by  Vincennes."  But  La  Ilarpe,* 
and  after  him  Charlevoix,  fix  the  position  of  that  post  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ouabache  (Ohio),  which  discharges  itself  into 
the  Mississippi.  It  was  probably  on  the  site  of  the  more 
modern  Fort  Massac,  and  the  date  of  its  establishment  is 
fixed  by  some  French  writers  in  the  year  1700. 

The  neighboring  Mascoutins,  who  later  became  jisso- 
ciated  with  the  Kickapoos,  soon  g.ithered  about  tliis  post 
on  the  Ohio  for  the  purpose  of  barter,  and  Father  Mermet 
undertook,  without  success,  to  convert  them  to  Christianity. 
In  1705,  or  thereabouts,  the  post  was  broken  up  in  conse- 
quence of  the  increasing  hostility  of  the  Indians,  and  the 
French  traders  fled,  leaving  their  cftects  behind  them.f 


*"  In  1702  M.  Juchereau,  a  French  ofiic;;r  of  Montreal,  accompanied 
by  thirtj'-four  Canadians,  attempted  to  form  a  settlement  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Oual)ache,  to  collect  buiFalo  skins."— P-xtnict  from  La  Ilarpe's 
Journal,  dated  Feb.  8,  1703,  cited  in  Dillon's  Hist,  of  Ind.,  p.  400. 

f'Acording  to  the  authority  of  La  Harpe,  and  the  later  historian 
Charlevoix,  the  French,  in  tiie  year  1700,  established  a  trading  post  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  on  the  site  of  the  more  modern  Fort  Massac,  in 
Massac  county,  111.,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  buffalo  hides.  The 
neighboring  Mascoutins,  as  was  customary  with  the  Indians,  soon  gath- 
ered about  it  for  the  purpose  of  barter.  Their  numbers,  as  well  as  the 
expressed  wish  of  the  French  traders,  induced  Father  Mermet  to  visit 
the  place  and  engage  in  mission  work.  At  the  end  of  four  or  Ave  years, 
in  1705,  the  establishment  was  broken  up  on  account  of  a  quarrel  of 
the  Indians  among  themselves,  which  so  threatened  the  lives  of  the 
Frenchmen  that  the  latter  fled,  leaving  behind  them  their  effects  and 
thirteen  thousand  buifalo  skins  which  they  had  collected.  Some  years 
liter.  Father  Marest,  writing  from  Kaskaskia,  relates  the  failure  of 
!•  ather  Mermet  to  convert  the  Lulians  at  this  post  on  the  Wabash ;  and 
on  the  authority  of  this  letter  alone,  and  although  I  ather  Marest  only 
followed  tl\e  prevailing  style  of  calling  the  Lower  Ohio  the  Wabash, 
some  writers  \the  late  Judge  Law  being  the  first)  have  contended  that 
this  post  was  on  the  Wabash  and  at  Vincennes.  Charlevoix  says  '  it  was 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  which  discharges  itself  into  the  Mississippi.' 
La  Ilarjje,  and  also  L(>  Sueur,  whose  personal  knowle(lge  of  the  post 
was  contemporaneous  with  its  existence,  definitely  lix  its  positicm  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  The  latter  gives  the  date  of  its  bepinniug,  and 
the  former  narrates  an  ac(!ount  of  its  trade  and  final  abandonment.  In 
this  way  an  antiquity  has  been  claimed  for  Vincennes  to  which  it  is  not 


Early  History  of  Vincennes. 


301 


th  of 
ibaah 
,rpe,* 
it  the 
f  into 
more 
eut  is 

;  dsso- 

18    post 

lermet 
tiauHy. 
couse- 
iiul  the 
m.t 

lie  mouth 
a  Ilarpe's 

100. 
historian 

poHt  near 
kliiHsac,  in 
ides.    The 
jsoon  gath- 
,.U  as  the 
et  to  visit 
f\ve  years, 
quarrel  of 
|v(>H  of  the 
tl'ects  and 
t^ome  years 
failure  of 
|i\)asi>-,  and 
.larest  only 
|u-  Wabash, 
n>u(led  that 
mys  '  it  was 
ississippi-' 
,{  the  post 
|)Hition  near 
inning,  and 
Inment.     In 
lich  it  is  not 


When  the  French  first  explored  the  Wabash,  they 
found  the  land  on  either  side  of  the  lower  course  of  that 
Htream  in  possession  of  the  Piankashaw  Indians;  and  Vin- 
cennes was  first  known  to  the  former  as  a  Piankashaw  vil- 
lage, by  the  name  of  Chip-pe-coke^  or  Brushwood.  It  was  a 
secluded  spot  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river,  about  one 
hundred  miles  above  its  mouth.  It  was  far  removed  from 
the  French  settlements  on  the  northern  lakes  and  on  the 
Mississippi,  and  during  many  years  it  was  a  mere  halting 
place  for  the  missionaries  and  fur-traders,  who  chose  to 
travel  southward  by  the  way  of  the  Maumee  and  the  Wa- 
bash. Of  this  sequestered  post  very  little  was  known  to 
the  outside  world  until  some  time  after  the  Sieur  de  Vin- 
cennes became  its  commandant.  The  priests  and  traders 
of  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  kept  up  some  intercourse  with 
the  place,  but  there  was  no  regular  conununicatioii  with  it. 
The  route  thither  by  river  was  circuitous  and  dangerous, 
while  the  Indian  "trace"  or  trail  across  the  intervening 
wilderness  of  Illinois  was  beset  by  roving  bands  of  blood- 
thirsty Kickapoos. 

Under  the  auspices  of  De  Vincennes,  who  l)uilt  an 
earthen  fort  there  about  the  year  1725,  this  Wabasli  post 
gradually  assumed  importance.  He  appears  to  have  granted 
lands,  in  small  parcels,  to  the  French  settlers  for  cultivation, 
and  from  the  neighboring  Indian  chiefs  they  received  a  gift 
of  more  than  two  thousand  acres,  wliich  they  approi>riated 
chiefly  as  "  conmions.'*  *  It  is  conjectured  by  Preese  that 
the  land  on  which  the  village  was  built,  and  the  "conmion 
field"  as  well,  were  originally  granted  to  De  Vincennes  by 
the  India  Company,  or  by  the  governor  of  Louisiana  after 
the  dissolution  of  the  company  in  1732,  and  that  he,  as 


historically  entitled."— "  History  of  Vermilion  County,  lllinoiB,"  by  11. 
W.  Bt'ikwith  (Chicago,  1S70),  p.  102,  note. 

*"In  1742,  some  years  after  the  foundation  of  the  post  of  Vincennes, 
the  natives  of  the  country  made  the  French  and  their  heirs  an  absohite 
gift  of  the  lands  lying  between  the  point  above  and  the  river  Blandie 
I  White)  below  the  village,  with  as  much  laud  on  both  sides  as  might  be 
comprised  within  the.  said  limits."— Dillon's  Hist,  of  hid.,  p.  402.  See 
also  Memcial  signed  by  sixteen  of  the  inhabitants  of  Vincennes,  dated 
November  20,  ITIKJ,  and  addressed  to  tlie  president  of  the  United  iStates. 


302 


Louisiana  Under  the  Crown. 


commandp.nt,  parceled  it  out  in  small  allotments  to  the 
villagers.  But  however  this  might  he,  it  was  all  included 
within  the  dependency  of  the  Illinois,  and  differed  hut  little 
from  the  other  villages  in  this  provincial  district. 

The  Sieur  de  Vincennes*  was  still  commanding  at  this 
post  in  1735,  and  until  the  spring  of  1736,  when  he  was 
summoned  by  Major  d'Artaguette  to  join  him,  with  a  force 
of  French  and  Miamis,  in  his  expedition  against  the  Chick- 
asaws,  from  which  neither  of  these  French  officers  ever 
returned.  But  the  post  village  which  the  former  had 
founded  was  thereafter  variously  known  as  Post  de  Vin- 
cennes, Au  Poste,  Post  Vincent,  Post  St.  Vincents,  and 
finally  Vincennes.  Louis  St.  Ange  de  Bellerive  succeeded 
De  Vincennes  in  command  of  the  post,  though  in  what 
year  is  undecided.  During  liis  lengthy  incumbency,  and 
as  early  as  the  year  1749,  he  made  some  grants  or  deeds 
conveying  small  lots  of  land  to  different  settlers  in  the  vil- 
lage. These  were  executed  on  coarse  paper,  and  were 
signed  by  "St.  Ange,  commandant  au  'postc  Vincenne." 

In  1749,  a  mission  was  established,  under  charge  of  the 
missionary  Meurin,  at  the  Piankashaw  village,  which  stoo"^. 
near  tlie  site  of  Post  Vincennes.  In  the  course  of  the  next 
year,  1750,  a  small  stockade  fort  was  built  at  that  place,  and 
another  light  fortification  was  erected  about  the  same  time  at 
the  confluence  of  the  Wabash  and  the  Ohio.  Between  the 
years  1754  and  1756  the  white  population  of  Post  Vincennes 
was  considerably  augmented  by  the  arrival  of  immigrants 
from  Detroit,  Kaskaskia,  and  New  Orleans.  During  this  pe- 
riod the  French  settlers  at  Post  Vincent,  Ouatanon,t  and  the 


*  There  is  some  little  reason  for  supi)osinK  that  there  were  two  men 
of  tliis  name  who  figured  in  the  Valley  of  the  Wabash  at  or  near  the 
same  time.  In  a  letter  atUlressed  to  the  Council  of  Marine,  written  at 
Quebec,  and  dated  October  28,  1715),  M.  de  Vaudreuil  says:  "I  learn 
from  the  last  letters  that  have  arrived  from  the  Miamis,  that  the  Wieur 
de  Vincennes  having  died  in  their  village,  these  Indians  hav(^  resolvctl 
not  to  remove  to  the  river  »St.  Joseph."  After  citing  the  above  extract 
in  his  history,  page  402,  Mr.  Dillon  observes :  "  This  report  of  the  death 
of  Vincenne  was  untrue;  or  there  was  soon  afterward,  in  the  West, 
another  Krench  officer  who  bore  the  name  of  M.  tie  Vincenne." 

t  Ouiatenon,  Ouatanon,  or  Watanon,  stood  on  the  north  side  of  the 


Early  History  of  Vincennes. 


303 


the 
ided 
ittle 

;this 
J  was 
force 
liick- 

ever 
*  had 
;  Vin- 
i,  and 
;eeded 

what 
;y,  and 
■  deeds 
:he  vil- 
1  were 

e." 

p  of  the 
li  stoo'\ 
le  next 
,ce,  and 
time  at 
ten  the 
[icennes 
i  grants 
Ithlfl  pe- 
and  the 


Twightee  village  near  the  site  of  Fort  Wayne,  enjoyed  a 
state  of  almost  unlimited  ease  and  freedom.  Living  in  the 
midst  of  the  forest  wilderness,  without  taxes  or  church 
rates,  and  in  friendship  with  the  neighhoring  Indians,  they 
spent  their  days  in  hunting  and  fishing,  and  in  trading  for 
pelts  and  furs,  raising  a  few  vegetables  and  a  little  maize 
for  the  sustenance  of  their  families.  Many  of  them  inter- 
married with  the  daughters  of  the  red  men,  whose  amity 
was  thereby  secured  and  strengthened.* 


Wabash,  not  far  below  the  present  city  of  i^afayette.  When  Colonel 
George  Croghan  visited  this  post  in  July,  17()5,  he  found  there  fourteen 
French  families  residing  witliiu  the  stockade.  According  to  his  printed 
journal,  Vincennes  then  contained  from  eighty  to  ninety  families,  and 
was  a  "  place  of  great  consequence  for  trade."  The  fort  was  garrisoned 
by  only  a  few  soldiers. 

*  Dillon's  Hist.  Ind.,  pp.  55  and  10!). 


..{, 


I  two  men 
near  the 
Iritten  at 
1"  I  learn 
[ixo  Si«iir 
resolvi'd 
|e>  extrait 
I  he  death 
[he  West, 


■■»       A 


lide  of  the 


304 


Events  in  the  Illmois  Dependency. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


1742-1756. 


PROGRESS    OF    EVENTS    IN   THE    DEPENDENCY   OF   ILLINOIS. 


In  1742,  when  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreiiil  was  made 
governor  of  Louisiana,  Captain  Benoist  de  St.  Clair  was 
major-commandant  of  the  Illinois,  having  been  appointed 
two  years  before  to  succeed  La  Buissoniere,,  But,  early  in 
1743,  St.  Clair  was  superseded  by  the  Chevalier  de  Bertel, 
or  Berthel,  who  held  the  position  until  1748-9. 

Among  the  earlier  acts  of  his  provincial  administra- 
tion. Governor  de  Vaudreuil  confirmed  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Kaskaskia  tlieir  right  of  "commons" — a  right  for  which 
they  had  petitioned  the  Royal  India  Company,  through 
their  commandant,  De  Liette,*  in  1727,  but  which  had  been 
until  now  wholly  disregarded.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
in  1719  M.  de  Boisbriant,  as  commandant  at  the  Illinois, 
had  granted  a  right  of  commons  to  the  citizens  of  Kaskas- 
kia, but  had  neglected  to  put  his  grant  in  writing,  and  that 
upon  the  surrender  of  the  India  Company's  charter,  in  1732, 
the  whole  country  became  united  to  the  royal  domain,  so 
that  the  poor  villagers  continued  in  a  state  of  painful  un- 
certainty for  sixteen  years.  At  length,  in  June,  1743,  these 
loyal  subjects  of  the  French  king  addressed  a  respectful 
petition  to  the  new  provincial  governor  to  confirm  their 
title ;  and  in  August  they  received  a  favorable  response 
thereto  in  writing,  Ol  which  the  following  is  the  more  im- 
portant part : 

"  Pierre  de  Rigault  de  Vaudreuil,  governor,  and  Edme. 
Gatien  Salmon,  commissary  orderer  of  the  Province  of 
Louisiana: — 

"  [Having]  seen  the  petition  to  us  presented  on  the  16th 


*  Breese  writes  this  name  De  Lielte,  and  Mjuson  De  Siette. 


Confirmation  of  Kaskaskia's  Right  of  Commons.       305 


;s. 

made 
ir  was 
jinted 
irly  in 
Bertel, 

iiiistra- 
bitauts 
'  which 
hrough 
id  been 
•ed  that 
[Uinoifl, 
iaskas- 
iid  that 
lin  1732, 
lain,  80 
ful  nn- 
3,  these 
jctful 
n  their 
hesponse 
lore  im- 

ll  Edme. 
[ince  of 

the  16th 


day  of  Jujie  of  this  present  year,  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
parisli  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  Kaskaskia,  de- 
pendence of  the  lUinois,  tending  to  be  confirmed  in  the 
possession  of  a  conmion  which  they  have  had  a  long  time 
for  the  pasturage  of  their  cattle,  in  the  point  called  La 
Pointe  (ie  Bois,  which  runs  to  the  entrance  of  the  river  Kas- 
^'askia,  We,  by  virtue  of  the  power  to  us  granted  by  his 
majesty,  have  confirmed  and  do  confirm  to  the  said  inhab- 
itants the  possession  of  the  said  commons,  on  the  following 
conditions. 

[Then  follow  the  conditions  in  detail,  which  are  omit- 
ted here.] 

"  Given  at  New  Orleans,  the  14th  day  of  August,  1743. 

(Signed)  "  Vaudrieul. 

"  "  Salmon." 

Concerning  the  above  act  of  confirmation,  Breese 
writes:  "  This  confirmation  took  from  the  inhabitants  the 
islands  in  the  Mississippi,  and  the  land  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Kaskaskia  River,  which  the  benevolent  Boisbriant  had 
verbally  granted  to  them  ;  nevertheless,  they  were  content, 
as  it  secured  to  them  nearly  seven  thousand  acres  of  rich 
pasture  and  woodland,  i'ov  house-bote,  plough-bote^  ji,e-bote^ 
and  estovers,  and  yielding,  also,  in  great  profusion,  grapes, 
plums,  persimmons,  the  lucious  papaw,  the  delicate  pecan, 
and  other  rich  and  delicious  nuts ;  whilst  the  '  common 
field,'  by  this  arrangement,  did  not  embrace  less  than  eight 
thousand  acres  of  tlie  ricliest,  deepest,  blackest  loam,  cap- 
able of  itself  of  sustaining  a  numerous  people.* 

Kaskaskia  continued  from  the  first  to  be  the  most  con- 
siderable of  the  Illinois  villages,  and  carried  on  a  profitable 
trade  by  the  river  with  Natchez  and  New  Orleans.  From 
Kaskaskia,  as  a  parent  hive,  small  swarms  of  colonists  were 
sent  out,  at  intervals,  to  people  the  neighboring  localities. 

As  early  as  the  year  1735,  according  to  tradition,  a  few 
French  Canadian  families  had  fixed  their  abode  on  the  west- 
ern bank  of  the  Mississippi,!  attracted  thither,  no  doubt, 


*  Breese's  Enrly  Illinois,  p.  187.  t 

t  The  first  inilitarv  settlement  of  the  French,  in  what  is  now  the 
20  " 


306 


Events  in  the  lllincris  Dependency. 


r^lM 


by  the  salt  springs  and  lead  mines,  which  liad  been  opened 
in  that  vicinity.  This  hamlet  was  located  on  the  low  river 
bottom,  and  took  the  name  of  Misere,  signifying  poverty 
or  misery,  but  only  in  a  comparative  sense,  when  contrasted 
with  the  older  and  more  flourishing  establishments  on  this 
side  of  the  river.  After  the  great  flood  in  the  Mississippi, 
in  1785,  which  completely  inundated  their  village,  the  in- 
habitants removed  to  the  present  site,  on  a  blutf,  three  miles 
north  or  north-west  of  the  old  one.  The  new  village  re- 
ceived the  name  of  Ste.  Genevieve,  by  which  it  lias  ever 
since  been  known.*  It  is  still  a  place  of  considerable  im- 
portance, with  a  noticeable  admixture  of  the  original  Gallic 
element  in  its  population.  The  town  has  long  been  the 
seat  of  justice  of  Ste.  Genevieve  county.  Mo.,  and  by  the 
last  United  States  census,  contained  fifteen  hundred  and 
eighty-six  inhabitants. 

The  population  of  the  French  and  Indian  villages  in 
the  district  of  the  Illinois,  at  the  period  of  which  we  write, 
is  largely  a  matter  of  conjecture  and  computation.  Father 
Louis  Yivier,  a  Jesuit  misMonary,  in  a  letter  dated  June  8, 
1750,  and  written  from  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Chartres,  says: 

"  We  have  here  whites,  negroes,  and  Indians,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  cross-breeds.  There  are  five  French  vil- 
lages, and  three  villages  of  the  natives  within  a  space  of 
twenty-five  leagues,  situate  between  the  Mississippi  and 
another  river  called  (Kaskaskia).  In  the  French  villages 
are,  perhaps,  eleven  hundred  whites,  three  hundred  blacks, 
and  sixty  red  slaves  or  savages.  The  three  Illinois  towns 
do  not  contain  more  than  eight  hundred  souls,  all  told."  f 

This  estimate  does  not  include  the  scattered  French 
settlers  or  traders  north  of  Peoria,  nor  on  the  Wabash.  It 
is  stated  that  the  Illinois  nation,  then  dwelling  for  the  most 
part  along  the  river  of  that  name,  occupied  eleven  diti:ereiit 
villages,  with  four  or  five  tires  at  each  village,  and  each  fire 
warming  a  dozen  families,  except  at  the  principal  village, 
where  there  were  three  hundred  lodges.    These  data  would 


State  of  Missouri,  u})pear8  to  have  been  at  Fort  Orleans,  on  the  site  of 
Jeiferson  City,  in  1719. 

*  Switzler's  History  of  Missouri,  p.  14:'.. 

t  Letirei*  EdiJiautcH  el  r.iirieuKes,  Parin,  1781. 


Form  of  the  Provincial  Government. 


307 


ened 
river 
verty 
asted 
I  this 
sippi, 
le  iii- 
milesi 
go  re- 
8  ever 
\e  im- 
Gallic 
en   tbe 
by  tiie 
ed  aiul 


the  site  of 


give  us  something  near  eight  tiiousaud  as  the  total  number 
of  the  Illinois  of  all  tribes. 

It  may  be  as  well  to  observe  here  that  the  form  of  gov- 
ernment, if  not  the  character  of  tlie  civilization,  instituted 
by  the  French  in  Canada  and  Louisiana,  was  materi'illy  dif- 
ferent from  that  contemporaneously  established  by  the 
English  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  The  government  of 
France  was  bureaucratic,  and-  more  on  the  feudal  type ;  a 
government  \u  which  all  power  was  concentrated  in  the 
officers  who  administered  it,  while  the  pay.'^an.'^,  or  common 
people,  liad  nothing  to  do  but  to  obey  the  edicts  and  orders 
of  their  rulers.  It  was  a  system  more  conducive  to  the 
general  equality  and  contentment  of  the  people,  than  to 
their  individual  freedom  antl  progress. 

In  the  Province  of  Louisiana  the  governor  and  com- 
mandant-general, the  intendant  commissary,  and  the  royal 
council  exercised  supreme  authority  in  both  civil  and  mili- 
tary affiiirs,  and  were  accountable  only  to  the  king  from 
whom  they  received  their  appointment.  The  governor  was 
invested  with  a  great  deal  of  power,  which,  however,  was 
checked  on  the  side  of  the  crown  by  the  intendant,  wlio 
had  the  care  of  the  king's  rights  and  whatever  pertained  to 
the  revenue,  and  on  the  side  of  the  people  it  was  restrained 
by  the  royal  council,  whose  duty  it  was  to  see  that  the 
colonists  were  not  oppressed  by  the  one  nor  defrauded  by 
the  other.  The  council  was  styled  Le  Conseil  Supmeur  de 
la  Louisiane.  It  was  composed  of  the  intendant,  who  sat 
as  first  judge,  the  procureur-general  or  king's  attorney, 
six  of  the  principal  inhabitants,  and  tlie  registrar  of  the 
province;  and  they  judged  in  all  civil  and  criminal  nuxtters. 
Every  citizen  had  the  right  to  appear  before  this  body  and 
plead  his  own  cause,  either  verbally  or  by  written  petition, 
and  the  evidences  of  each  party  were  submitted  to  and  ex- 
amined by  the  council. 

The  commandants  in  the  various  districts  of  the  prov- 
ince were  appointed  by  the  governor,  for  no  fixed  period, 
and  exercised  all  such  executive  duties  as  the  exigencies  of 
their  respective  districts  required,  though  not  without  per- 
sonal accountability  to  the  power  appointing  tliem.     The 


308 


Events  in  the  Illinois  Dependency. 


major-cominandant,  as  he  was  stylerl,  was  usually  connected 
witli  the  governor  by  interest  or  relatiohship.  "  He  was 
absolute  in  iiis  authority,"  writes  Captain  Pittman,  "excep. 
in  matters  of  life  and  death  ;  capital  offenses  were  tried  by 
the  council  at  New  Orleans.  The  whole  Indian  trade  was 
so  much  in  the  power  of  the  commandant,  that  nobody  was 
permitted  to  be  concerned  in  it  but  on  condition  of  giving 
him  a  part  of  the  profits.  Whenever  he  made  presents  to 
the  Indians  in  the  name  of  the  king,  he  received  peltry  and 
furs  in  return  ;  (and)  as  the  presents  he  gave  were  to  be 
considered  as  marks  of  his  favor  and  love  for  them,  so  the 
returns  they  made  were  to  be  regarded  as  proofs  of  their 
attachment  to  him.  Speeches,  accompanied  by  presents, 
were  called  }iaroles  dc  raleur;  any  Indians  who  came  to  the 
French  post  were  subsisted  at  the  expense  of  the  king 
during  their  stay,  and  the  swelling  of  this  account  was  no 
inconsiderable  emohiment. 

"As  every  business  the  commandant  had  with  the  In- 
dians was  attended  with  certain  profit,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  he  spared  no  pains  to  gain  thair  affections ;  he  made  it 
equally  the  interest  of  the  officers  under  him  to  please  them, 
by  i»ermitting  them  to  trade,  and  making  themselves  agents 
in  the  Indian  countries.  If  any  person  (or  persons)  brought 
goods  within  the  limits  of  his  jurisdiction,  without  his 
particular  license,  he  would  oblige  them  to  sell  their  mer- 
chandise at  I  very  moderate  profit  to  the  commissary,  on 
the  king's  account,  calling  it  an  emergency  of  government, 
and  employ  the  same  goods  in  his  own  private  commerce. 
It  may  be  easilj'^  supposed,  from  what  has  before  been  said, 
that  a  v'rmplaint  to  the  governor  at  New  Orleans  would 
meet  vvidi  very  little  redress.  It  may  be  asked  if  the  in- 
habitants were  not  offended  at  this  monopoly  of  trade  and 
arbitrary  proceedings.  The  commandant  could  bestow 
many  favors  on  them,  such  as  giving  contracts  for  furnish- 
ing provisions,  or  performing  public  works ;  by  employing 
them  in  his  trade,  or  by  making  their  children  cadets,  Mdio 
were  allowed  pay  and  provisions,  and  he  could,  when  they 
were  grown  up,  recommend  them  for  commissions.  They 
were  happy  if,  by  the  most  servile  and  submissive  behavior, 


The  Court  of  Royal  Jurisdiction. 


809 


lected 

[e  was 
excep  ^ 
ied  by 
ie  was 
dy  was 
giving 
ents  to 
try  and 
i  to  be 
,  so  the 
of  their 
)resent6. 
le  to  the 
he  king 
■  was  no 


they  could  gain  liis  confidence  and  favor.  Every  person 
capable  of  bearing  arms  was  enrolled  in  the  militia,  and  a 
captain  of  the  militia  regulated  the  cor  fees  and  other  per- 
sonal service. 

"  From  this  military  form  of  government,  the  authority 
of  the  commandant  was  almost  universal.  The  commis- 
sary (district)  was  a  mere  cipher,  and  rather  kept  for  form 
than  any  real  use ;  he  was  always  a  person  of  low  de- 
pendence, and  never  dared  to  counteract  the  will  of  the 
commandant."  * 

Subordinate  to  the  major-commandant  of  the  district, 
each  village  had  its  own  local  commandant,  who  was  usually 
a  captain  of  the  militia.  "  Jle  was  as  great  a  personage," 
says  Breese,  "as  our  city  mayors,  superintending  the  police 
of  the  village,  and  acting  ns  a  kind  of  justice  of  the  peace, 
from  whose  decisions  an  appeal  lay  to  the  major-command- 
ant. In  the  choice  of  this  subordiiuite  though  inn)ortant 
functionary,  the  adult  inhabitants  had  a  voice,  and  it  is  the 
only  instance  wherein  they  exercised  an  elective  franchise." 

Al)out  the  year  1751,  for  the  furtherance  of  justice,  the 
so-called  "Court  or  Audience  of  the  Koyal  Jurisdiction  of 
the  Illinois"  was  instituted  at  Kaskaskia.  The  proceedings 
of  this  court  were  carried  on  before  a  single  judge,  without 
the  assistance  of  a  clerk,  sheritf,  or  lawyers,  the  judge  him- 
self entering  his  decisions  in  a  book  called  "  The  Register." 
Following  is  one  of  the  decrees  extracted  from  it,  being  the 
opinion  of  the  court  l)y  Justice  Bucket : 

"Between  Louis  Chancellier,  plaintiff,  by  petition"  on 
the  18th  of  this  present  month — stating  that  having  aban- 
doned the  prosecution  of  the  suit  which  he  had  formerly 
brought  against  the  defendant  hereinafter  named  (on  the 
subJBct  of  his  negro  woman,  to  whom  a  fright  caused  by 
the  son  of  the  defendant  has  produced  dangerous  conse- 
quences, since  the  said  negro  is  afflicted  with  a  falling  sick- 
ness in  consequence  of  this  fright) — on  the  one  part,  and 
Pierre  Fillet,  called  De  la  Londe,  defendant,  who  plead  that 


*Pittman'8  "htate  of  the  European  Settlements  on  the  Mississippi" 
(London,  1770),  pp.  53,  54. 


310 


Events  in  the  Illinois  Dependency. 


he  would  not  answer  for  the  deeds  of  his  son,  but  would 
say  in  defense  of  his  son  that  this  negro  woman  fell  sick 
of  tliis  sickness  before  tlie  fright,  and.  therefore,  the  phiintitf 
could  not  chiim  any  damages  on  account  of  the  fright  which 
his  son  gave  her,  since  the  cause  of  her  sickness  is  anterior 
to  that  which  he  pretends  to  rely  upon. 

"  The  parties  having  been  heard,  we  condemn  the  de- 
fendant to  make  proof  within  eigbt  days  of  what  he  ad- 
vances, in  order  tliat  it  may  be  made  to  appear  to  whom 
tlie  right  belongs, 

"Done  at  Kaskaskia.  Court  held  20tli  May,  1752. — 
Bucket." 

Here  is  another  case  of  a  hiter  date,  arising  ex  contractu^ 
against  an  administrator: 

"  Between  Raimond  Brosse,  called  Saint  Ccrnay,  in- 
liabitant  of  Kaskaskia,  plaintiff,  to  the  effect  that  the  de- 
fendant, Charles  Lorain,  be  made  to  acknowledge  a  note 
for  sixty  francs,  executed  by  the  deceased  Louis  Langlois, 
and  of  Louise  Girardy,  his  widow,  and  i»ow  wife  of  Charles 
Lorain,  the  aforesaid  defendant,  on  the  other  part. 

"The  said  note  being  examined, the  parties  heard, and 
all  tilings  considered,  we  condemn  the  defendant  to  pay, 
without  delay,  to  tlie  plaintiff  the  sum  of  sixty  francs 
(livres),  the  amount  of  the  said  note,  and  also  the  costs  ot 
suit,  which  we  have  taxed  at  twenty-eight  francs  and  ten 
cents  (sols). 

"Done  at  New  Chartre,  in  our  hearing,  we  holding 
court,  Saturday  the  fifth  of  June,  1756. — Chevallier."  * 

The  practice,  or  mode  of  procedure,  in  thia  and  other 
courts  of  the  province  was  after  the  forms  of  the  civil  law, 
very  simple  and  brief,  and  probably  as  well  calculated  to 
promote  the  true  ends  of  justice  c.s  the  more  cumbrous 
forms  of  tlie  English  common  law,  tilled  with  technical 
jargon.  Trial  by  jury  was  unknown  here;  the  law  and  the 
facts  in  every  case  being  decided  by  the  presiding  judge. 


•Brocse's  Firly  IliHtory,  pp.  217-215).  At  the  time  Judge  Hreese 
■wrote,  the  record  of  the  proeeedinijfs  of  thiH  high-soundincj  court  was 
yet  extaut,  and  it  may  be  Btill. 


Mode  of  Administering  the  Government. 


311 


I  Bick 
aintift" 
which 
iitevior 

;he  (le- 
hc  lul- 
f  whom 

1752.— 

mtrada, 

nay,  h\- 
the  de- 
e  a  note 
Langloia, 
f  Charles 

vard,  a»^^ 
to  pay, 
by  tVaiK'S 

c;08t8   of 

and  ten 

hohVmc: 

kr."  * 
jnd  other 
Livil  law, 
Inlated  to 
•und)rons 
Itechnieal 
and  the 

Ig  j^i^^^^'- 

|dpo  UreeHO 
cjurt  wiiB 


.fudgments  and  decrees  were  executed  by  the  captain  of 
militia,  or  the  provost  marshal,  and  no  "stay  laws"  or 
"  valuation  laws"  impeded  its  operation,  nor  was  there  any 
"  redemption  after  sale."  Occasion,  however,  did  not  very 
often  arise  for  the  exercise  of  the  judieial  authority,  as  liti- 
gation was  expensive,  and  the  people  in  general  were  peace- 
able, honest,  and  punctual  in  their  dealings  with  each  other. 
In  fact,  the  most  common  mode  of  settling  small  difficulties 
and  disputes  about  money,  etc.,  was  by  referring  them  to 
the  arbitration  of  friends  and  neighbors,  or  else  by  the  mild 
interposition  of  the  village  priest.* 

Thus  were  exercised  tlie  executive  and  judicial  powers 
in  the  jtrovincial  district  of  Illinois;  of  legislative  }>ower8 
tliere  were  none.  The  laws  in  force  were  the  edicts  and 
ordinances  of  the  King,  and  the  "usages  of  the  mayoralty 
and  shrievalty  of  Paris,''  These  were  introduced  by  France 
into  all  her  American  colonies,  but  they  were  changed  or 
modified,  more  or  less,  by  the  ignorance  or  caprice  of  those 
whose  business  it  was  to  construe  and  ap[)ly  them.  The 
peculiar  local  customs  of  the  colony,  also,  had  the  force 
of  law.* 

The  pernicious  system  of  monopolies  still  prevai'sd  in 
the  province.  In  August,  1744,  Gov.  de  Vaudreuil  con- 
ceded to  a  Frenchman  named  Deruisseau  the  exclusive 
right  of  trading  in  all  the  country  watered  by  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  and  the  streams  falling  into  it.  This  privilege, 
which  seems  to  have  end)raced  the  entire  district  of  the 
Illinois,  was  for  a  term  sometliing  in  ex(H'ss  of  five  years, 
hegii'.ning  .January  1,  174."),  and  ti'nuinating  on  tlie  iiv'tli  of 
May,  1750.  Several  conditions  were  annexed  U)  the  grant, 
such  as  the  maintenance  of  the  posts  on  the  Missouri,  and  the 
regulation  of  the  prices  at  which  goods  were  to  be  supplied 
to  the  settlements.  One  of  the  reasons  assigned  by  De 
V'audrenil  for  granting  this  monopoly  to  Dcruisscau  was 
to  deprive  tiie  colonists  in  tlie  Illinois  district  of  ail  means 
of  carrying  on  any  commerce  with  the    Indians,  and  thus 


Urt'OBe's  Early  IlliuoiH,  pp.  221,  222. 


m 

Ill 


Mas 


312 


Events  in  the  Illinois  Dependency, 


force  them  into  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  the  raising 
of  produce  for  the  southern  market.* 

In  1749,  the  Sieurde  St.  Clair  was  re-appointed  major- 
commandant  at  the  Illinois,  hut,  in  the  autumn  of  1751,  he 
was  supplanted  ])y  the  Chevalier  Macarty,  jy  Makarty,  an 
Irishman  hy  hirlh,  and  a  major  of  engineers.  Macarty 
served  ahout  nine  years,  and  then  jnelded  the  position  to 
Capt.  Neyonf  de  Villiers. 

Early  in  1758,  after  a  popular  and  successful  adminis- 
tration of  over  ten  years,  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil-Cavagnal 
relinquished  the  governership  of  Louisiana  to  accept  the 
higher  lionor  of  governor-general  of  Canada.  Ilis  suc- 
cessor in  the  former  office  was  M.  de  Kerlerec,  a  captain  in 
the  royal  navy.  lie  arrived  in  New  Orleans  the  3d  of 
Fehruary,  1753,  and  on  the  9th  of  that  month,  was  installed 
as  chief  executive  of  the  province. 

Let  us  now  take  a  cursory  view  )f  c  miporaneous 
military  events,  occurring  heyond  the  confines  of  Louisiana. 
In  1744,  war  was  again  declared  hetween  France  and  Great 
Britain,  and  their  trans-Atlantic  colonies  speedily  became 
end)roiled  in  the  armed  conflict,  v/hich  is  known  as  the 
Third  Frencii  War.  The  active  military  operations,  so  far 
as  they  affected  the  French-American  possessions,  were 
chiefly  confined  to  the  eastern  seaboard.  But  to  guard 
against  sur[)rise,  or  any  sudden  iiTuption  of  the  Chickasaws 
and  other  unfriendly  tribes,  some  fresh  levies  of  troops 
were  made  in  Louisiana,  and  the  garrisons  were  strength- 
ened at  the  principal  posts  in  the  province. 

The  most  noteworthy  episode  of  this  forei/»M  >  was 
the  capture  of  the  fortress  of  Louisburg,  situate''  jjou 
Cape  Breton  Island,  by  an  army  of  four  tliousand  hien 
from  Boston,  under  the  command  oi  Colonel  (afterward 
Sir)  William  Bepperell,  in  June,  1745.  The  reduction 
of  this  stronghold,  wliich  had  hitherto  been  considered  im- 
pregnable, was  a  iieavy  blow  to  the  French  power,  and 
during  the  succeeding  year  a  powerful  fleet  WiM-t  fitted  out 

•  GayarKi's  Hist,  of  La.,  Vol.  II,  pp.  23,  24.  ~  ■  .---.- 

t  Written  Noyon  in  old  Fronch  (locutnents.  , 


Peace  of  1748 — Rebuilding  of  Fort  Chartres.         31*3 


iHing 

vajor- 
)1,  lie 
ty,  an 
icai'ty 
ion  to 

miuis- 
vagiuil 
spt  the 

18    8UC- 

»tain  in 

3d  of 

istalled 

raneous 
uisiana. 
d  Great 
became 
as  tlic 
H,  so  far 
rt,  were 
I    truard 
ickasaws 
troops 
rongtli- 

r  ■  i  was 

Ind  men 
fterward 

.^dnction 
in'od  ini" 

rer,  and 
It  ted  out 


in  France  to  recover  it  and  chastise  its  captors.  The  fleet, 
however,  was  delayed,  and  its  aim  was  frustrated  by  a 
storm.  But  by  a  provi^^ion  of  the  treaty  of  Aix-hi-Chapelle 
(1748),  Louisburg  was  restored  to  the  possession  of  France 
in  exchange  for  certain  territory  tliat  Enghmd  desired  in 
India, — an  arrangement  very  displeasing  to  the  New  Eng- 
landers. 

The  peace  of  1748,  which  conferred  increased  pros- 
perity on  the  Province  of  Louisiana,  was  not  destined  to 
be  of  long  duration.  Of  the  various  causes  at  work  to 
bring  about  a  renewal  of  hostilities  between  the  two  rival 
powers,  it  is  unnecessary  now  to  speak,  as  we  shall  here- 
after take  occasion  to  pass  them  in  review.  But  the  fear 
that  the  English  might  eventually  gain  a  foot-hold  in  this 
great  Valley  of  the  Mississipi>i  was  ever  present  to  the 
minds  of  the  intelligent  French  inhabitants.  And  the 
suggestion  was  made  by  I)e  Bertel,  commandant  at  the 
Illinois,  to  the  governor  in  New  Orleuns,  and  through  him 
to  the  king,  that  additional  means  of  defense  were  required 
for  the  protection  of  these  valuable  possessions,  hinting  at 
more  troops  and  larger  and  stronger  forts. 

Nothing  appears  to  have  been  done  at  the  time,  liow- 
ever,  excepting  to  enroll  those  al)le  to  bear  arms  into  com- 
panies of  militia,  and  to  provide  for  the  nuiintenance  of 
garrisons  at  the  more  exposed  places. 

It  was  not  until  the  year  1753,  when  Macarty  was 
major-commandant,  that  the  rebuilding  of  Fort  Chartres 
was  begun,  in  accn'dance  with  plans  and  specifications 
furnished  by  M.  Saucier,  a  French  engineer.*  This  huge 
structure  of  n)as()nry,  an  object  of  wonder  and  curiosity 
to  all  who  ever  beheld  it,  was  reared  at  an  estimated  cost 
of  over  five  millions  of  livres,  or  about  one  million  dollars. 
It  was  80  nearly  completed  by  the  beginning  of  1756,  that 

*  See  fjftterH  of  Travel  tliroiijirh  liOuiHuuia,  by  M.  Bossu,  imptain  in  the 
KnMK'h  MiirinoH, and  afterward  C'liovaHcr  of  the  Onlcrof  St.  J.oujh.  Im- 
printed at  Paris,  17()8;  Kiifxlisli  ed.,  London,  1771,  p.  127.  Of  tlie  fort 
itHolf,  HosBU  fiayH  (p.  158):  "  It  is  built  of  freestone,  flanked  with  four 
ImatioiiH,  and  capable  of  eontaiiiinj?  (or  liousing)  a  <,'arrison  of  three 
hundred  men." 


tBHOnt 


314 


Events  in  the  Illinois  Dependency. 


ii! 


it  was  occupied  by  the  Illinois  commandant,  and  the  archives 
of  the  local  government  were  deposited  therein.  Thence- 
forth, the  fortress  was  popularly  knotvn  as  "  New  Chartres." 

"As  a  means  of  defense,"  writes  Breese,  "  except  as  a 
citadel  to  flee  to  on  any  sudden  attack  of  the  savages,  the 
erection  was  wholly  unnecessary.  Official  emolument  must 
have  prompted  it,  and  some  of  the  many  millions  of  livres 
it  is  said  to  have  cost  must  have  gone  into  the  command- 
ant's pocket,  or  into  those  of  his  favorites,  and  they  enriched 
by  this  mode  of  peculation." 

This  extensive  fortification  was  constructed  during 
Kerlerec's  administration  of  the  government  of  Louisiana, 
and  he  probably  shared  in  the  profits  of  the  erection.  Ma- 
karty  was  then  major-commandant  of  the  Illinois,  and  the 
Abbe  de  Gagnon,  of  the  order  of  St.  Sulpice,  was  chaplain 
at  the  fort. 

M.  de  Kerlerec  held  tlie  office  of  provincial  executive 
from  F(>bruary  9,  1753,  until  June  29,  1763,  when  he  was 
superseded  by  Mons.  d'Abbadic  * — not  as  governor,  but  as 
director-general,  etc. — and  was  ordered  to  return  to  France. 
He  was  accused  of  various  violations  of  duty  and  assump- 
tions of  power,  and,  in  particular,  was  reproached  with 
having  spent  ten  millions  of  livres  in  four  years,  while  M. 
Rochemauro  was  intendant-commissary,  under  the  pretext 
of  preparing  for  war.  Upon  his  arrival  in  Paris,  he  was 
incarcerated  for  some  time  in  the  Bastile,  and  is  said  to 
have  died  of  vexation  and  grief  shortly  after  his  discharge 
from  that  gloomy  state  prison. f 

In  Captain  Pittman's  "Present  State  of  the  European 
Settlements  on  the  Mi88is8i[)pi,"  already  cited,  is  contained 
an  excellent  description  of  Fort  Chartres,  as  seen  by  him 
in  1766,  while  it  wat.  yet  in  its  prime.     lie  writes: 

'*  Fort  Chartres,  when  it  belonged  to  France,  was  the 
seat  of  government  of  the  Illinois.  The  head-(puirter8  of 
the  English  comiiianding  officer  is  now  here ;  who,  in  fact, 
is  the  arbitrary  governor  of  the  country.  Tlie  fort  is  an  ir- 
regular (puidrangle ;  the  sides  of  the  exterior  polygon  are 

*  Othcrwiw  writtoti  Ahadie. 

t  (Jnyarrc'K  llint.  of  l>a.,  II.,  f).  05;  ami  MartinV  Louiftinna,  I.,  p.  343. 


Pittman's  Description  of  Fort  Chartres. 


315 


hives 
ence- 
tres." 
,  as  a 
!S,  the 
:,  must 
livres 
maiul- 
liched 

during 
liBiaua, 
i.     Ma- 
[iiul  the 
hapUiin 

cecutive 
he  was 
c,  but  as 
France, 
assump- 
ed  with 
■hile  M. 
pretext 
he  wuB 
said  to 
iHC'harge 

European 

bntained 

by  him 

was  the 

livters  of 

in  tact, 

IB  an  ir- 

/gou  are 


four  hundred  and  ninety  feet.  It  is  built  of  stone  plastered, 
and  is  Oiily  designed  as  a  defense  against  Indians ;  the  wall 
being  two  feet  two  inches  thick,  and  pierced  with  loop- 
holes at  regular  distances,  and  with  two  port-holes  for  can- 
non in  the  faces  and  two  in  the  flanks  of  each  bastion. 
The  ditch  has  never  been  finished.  The  (main)  entrance  to 
the  fort  is  through  a  very  handsome  rustic  gate ;  within 
the  walls  is  a  small  banquette,  raised  three  feet,  for  the  men 
to  stand  on  when  they  fire  through  the  loop-holes. 

"  The  buildings  within  the  fort  are  the  commandant's 
and  commissary's  houses,  the  magazine  of  stores,  corps  de 
garde,  and  two  barracks;  they  occuj)y  the  square.  Within 
the  gorges  of  the  bastions  are  a  powder  magazine,  a  bake- 
house, a  prison,  on  the  lower  floor  of  which  are  four  dun- 
geons, and  in  the  upper  two  rooms,  and  an  outhouse  be- 
longing to  the  commandant. 

"  The  commandant'p  house  is  thirty-two  yards  long 
and  ten  broad.  It  contains  a  kitchen,  a  dining-room,  a 
bed-chamber,  one  small  room,  rive  closets  for  servants,  and 
a  cellar.  The  commissary's  house,  now  occupied  by  ofHcert?, 
is  built  in  the  same  line  as  this  ;  its  proportions  and  distri- 
bution of  apartments  arc  the  same. 

"  Opposite  these  are  t'le  store-house  and  guard-house. 
They  are  each  thirty  yards  U)ng  and  eight  broad.  The 
former  consists  of  two  large  store-rooms  (under  which  is  a 
hirge  vaulted  cellar),  and  a  large  room,  a  bed-chand)er,  and 
a  closet  for  the  store-keeper ;  the  latter  of  a  soldier's  and 
otficer's  guard-rooms,  a  ciuipel,  a  bed-chamber  and  closet 
for  the  chaplain,  and  an  artillery  store-room. 

"The  lines  of  barracks  have  never  been  finished. 
They  at  present  consist  of  two  rooms  each  for  officers,  and 
three  rooms  for  soldiers.  They  are  good,  spacious  rooms 
of  twenty-two  feet  s(juare,  and  have  betwixt  thetn  a  snudl 
passage.  There  are  five  spacions  lofts  over  each  buiUliug, 
which  reach  from  end  to  end.  Thev  are  made  use  of  to 
lodge  regimental  stores,  working  and  intrenching  toolH,  etc. 

"  It  is  generally  allowed  that  this  is  the  most  commo- 
dious and  best  built  fort  in  Noj'th  America. 

"The  bank  of  the   MissisHijtpi   next  the  fort  is  con- 


lllli 


sssgm 


tmam 


ta,iaaMMa»Mnww»<»-v<,^..» 


316 


Events  in  the  Illinois  Dejpendency . 


ii! 


tinually  falling  in,  being  worn  awf..y  by  the  current,  which 
has  been  turned  from  its  course  by  a  sand-bank,  now  in- 
creased to  a  considerable  island,  covered  with  willows. 
Many  experiments  have  been  tried  to  stop  this  growing 
evil,  but  to  no  purpose.  When  the  fort  was  begun  in  1756, 
it  was  a  good  half-mile  from  the  water  side.  In  the  year 
1766  it  was  but  eighty  paces.  Eight  years  ago  the  river 
was  fordable  to  the  island;  the  channel  is  now  forty  feet 
deep." 

The  story  of  the  subsequent  dilapidation  and  ruin  of 
this  historic  fortress,  which  was  intended  to  secure  the  em- 
pire of  the  French  in  the  West,  may  be  told  in  a  few  sen- 
tences. In  the  spring  of  1772,  a  great  freshet  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi, which  submerged  all  the  adjacent  bottom,  made 
such  inroads  upon  the  crumbling  river  bank,  that  the  west- 
ern wall  and  one  of  the  bastions  of  the  fort  were  under- 
mined and  precipitated  into  the  raging  current.  The  Brit- 
ish garrison  then  abandoned  it,  and  took  refuge  at  Fort 
Gage,  on  the  high  bluff  of  the  Kaskaskia,  opposite  to  and 
overlooking  the  old  town  of  that  name.  Thither  the  seat 
of  government  was  transferred,  and  Fort  Chartres  was 
never  again  occupied.  It  was  left  to  become  a  ruin,  and 
such  of  its  walls  and  buildings  as  escaped  destruction  by 
succeeding  inundations  were  torn  down  and  removed  by 
the  neighboring  villagers  for  building  purposes. 

After  the  flood  of  1772,  "the  capricious  Mississippi 
devoted  itself  to  the  reparation  of  the  damage  it  had 
wrought.  The  channel  between  the  fort  and  the  island 
in  front  of  it,  once  forty  feet  deep,  began  to  fill  up,  and 
ultinuitely  the  main  shore  and  the  island  were  united, 
leaving  the  fort  a  mile  or  more  inland.  A  thick  growth  of 
trecd  speedily  concealed  it  from  the  view  of  those  passing 
on  the  river,  and  the  high  road  from  Kaskaskia  to  Cahokia, 
which  at  first  ran  between  the  fort  and  the  river,  was  soon 
after  located  at  the  bluffs,  three  miles  to  the  eastward. 
These  changes,  which  left  the  fort  completely  isolated  and 
hidden,  together  with  the  accounts  of  the  British  evacua- 
tion, gave  rise  to  the  report  of  its  total  destruction  by  the 
river.     .     .     .     But  this  is  entirely  erroneous ;  the  ruins 


The  RvJn  of  Fort  Chartres. 


317 


which 
ow  iii- 

rilloWS. 

rowing 
11  1756, 
ae  year 
tie  river 
»rty  feet 

ruin  of 
the  em- 
few  sen- 
the  Mi8- 
m,  made 
the  west- 
re  under- 
rhe  Brit- 
j  at  Fort 
te  to  and 
r  the  scat 
trcs  was 
uin,  and 
action  hy 
uoved  hy 


;e 


iflsissippi 
it  iiad 
be  isUind 
up 


(or  part  of  them)  still  renuiMi;  and  had  man  treated  it  as 
kindly  as  the  elements,  the  old  fort  would  be  nearly  perfect 
to-day."  * 

I^ow  and  then  a  curious  tourist  or  an  antiquary  made 
his  way  thither.  In  1804,  the  fort  was  visited  by  Major 
Amos  Stoddard,!  of  the  U.  S.  Engineers,  who  described  it 
as  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  In  1820,  Dr.  Lewis  C. 
Beck,  and  Nicholas  Hansen,  of  Illinois,  made  a  careful 
drawing  of  the  plan  of  the  fortress,  for  insertion  in  Beck's 
"Gazetteer  of  Illinois  and  Missouri."  At  that  time  many 
of  the  rooms  and  collars  in  the  buildings,  and  portions  of 
the  outside  waHs,  showing  the  opening  for  the  main  gate, 
and  loop-holes  for  the  musketry,  were  still  in  a  state  of  tol- 
erable repair.  According  to  their  measurements,  the  whole 
exterior  line  of  the  walls  and  bastions  was  1,447  feet.  The 
area  of  the  fort  embraced  about  four  acres;  and  the  walls, 
built  of  solid  stone,  were  in  some  places  fifteen  feet  higli. 
In  1851,  ex-Governor  Reynolds  visited  the  remains  of  the 
old  fortress,  concerning  which  he  thus  writes : 

''  This  fort  (situated  in  the  north-west  corner  of  Ran- 
dolph county)  is  an  object  of  antiquarian  curiosity.  The 
trees,  undergrowth,  and  brush  are  so  mixed  and  interwoven 
with  the  old  walls  that  the  place  has  a  much  more  ancient 
appearance  than  the  dates  will  justify.  The  soil  is  so  fer- 
tile that  it  has  forced  u\)  large  trees  in  the  very  houses 
which  were  occupied  by  the  French  and  British  poldiers."  J 

The  same  writer  was  there  again  in  October,  1854,  and 
found  what  was  left  of  the  fort  "  a  pile  of  moldering 
ruins,"  the  walls  having  been  torn  away  in  many  j)lace8 
nearly  even  with  the  ground.  Moralizing  upon  the  scene 
of  desolation  thus  presented  to  his  gaze,  he  ([uaintly  wrote: 
"There  is  nothing  durable  in  this  world,  except  God  and 
Nature."     Later  tourists  to  this  interesting  spot  have  seen 


*  Paper  read  boforo  the  Chicago  Hietorical  Society,  by  Hon.  E.  G. 
Mason,  June  10,  1880. 

t  It  was  Stoddard  who  took  poBsession  of  Upper  Louisiana  for  the 
(iovernnient  of  the  United  Statts,  in  March,  1804,  under  the  treaty  of 
purchase  from  France. 

t  Kt'ynolds'  /'iom'*")' //wt<or?/,  2d  ed.,  p.  4('). 


If 


318 


Events  in  the  Illinois  Dependency. 


the  outlines  of  the  external  walls  and  ditches,  and  scattered 
heaps  of  broken  stone ;  also  the  vaulted  powder  magazine, 
a  piece  of  solid  masonry,  existing  almost  entire. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  this  large  and  commo- 
dious fortress — the  only  great  architectural  work  of  the 
French  in  the  entire  basin  of  the  Mississippi — over  which, 
in  succession,  had  long  and  proudly  floated  the  flags  of  two 
powerful  nations,  should  not  have  been  built  upon  a  firmer 
and  more  elevated  site,  where  it  might  have  been  preserved, 
as  an  impressive  and  historical  monument  of  the  past,  even 
unto  the  present  time. 


Movements  of  the  French  on  the  Upper  Ohio.  319 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


1753-1760. 


THE    MEMORABLE    SEVEN    YEARS     WAR. 


We  now  approacli  that  momentous  contest  popularly 
known  as  the  "  Old  French  and  Indian  War,"  *  or  the  "  Seven 
Years'  War,"  in  which  France  and  Great  Britain  stubhornly 
contended  for  the  final  possession  of  this  continent.     The 
French,  having  begun  their  wonderful  career  of  conquest 
and  colonizatio!!  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, had  gradually  extended  a  chain  of  military  and  trading 
posts  from  Quebec  up  the  river  St.  Lawrence  to  Lake  On- 
tario, and  thence  westward  along  the  great  connecting  lakes 
to  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan ;  thence  diagonally  through 
the  country  of  the  Illinois  to  the  Mist^issippi,  and  down 
that  interior  water-way  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.     The  En- 
glish,   in    the    meantime,   had   been    plai    ing    along    the 
Atlantic  seaboard — a  reach  of  over  two  thousand  miles — 
the  most  prosperous  and  powerful   colonies  in  the  New 
World.    And  it  was  the  extension  of  their  growing  power 
and  settlements  across  the  Apj)alachian  range  of  mountains, 
which  had  hitherto  constituted  their  western  boundary,  that 
first  brought  them  into  controversy  and  collision  with  the 
French  Canadian  authorities. 

France  claimed  the  entire  Valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
including  that  of  the  Ohio  as  well,  which  her  enterprising 
fur-traders  and  missionaries  had  been  the  first  to  explore 
and  formally  occupy,  but  which  she  had  as  yet  only  very 
sparsely  peopled.  In  furtherance  of  this  claim  of  exclusive 
jurisdiction,  the  alert  French  went  so  far  as  to  carve  th'eir 
national  fienr-de-lis  on  the  forest  trees,  and  to  bury  metallic 
plates,  stamped  with  the  arms  of  France,  at  various  places 


♦It  was  really  the  fourth  French  aud  Indian  war. 


320 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


in  the  Ohio  Valley.  On  the  other  hand,  England,  in  virtue 
of  the  primal  discovery  of  the  country  by  the  Cabots, 
maintained  the  right  to  extend  her  possessions  on  the 
Atlantic  coast  indefinitely  westward,  and  in  conformity 
with  this  view  the  cliarters  of  some  of  her  colonies  were 
so  worded  as  to  reach  across  the  entire  breadth  of  the  con- 
tinent. The  English  sought  to  further  strengthen  their 
title  by  annexing  to  it  the  pretense  of  their  Indian  allies, 
the  Six  Nations,*  who  claimed,  b}'  right  of  conquest,  all 
that  part  of  the  northwestern  territory  lying  south  of  the 
great  lakes  and  between  the  Alleghany  Mountains  and  the 
Mississippi. 

So  long  as  France  and  Great  Britain  were  at  peace, 
which  was  never  many  years  at  a  time,  this  standing, 
national  controversy  gave  rise  only  to  a  series  of  border 
disputes,  petty  encroachments,  and  intrigues  with  the  tickle 
aborigines,  neither  party  being  numerous  enough  to  colon- 
ize the  territory  which  both  coveted.  But  when  war  ex- 
isted between  the  two  parent  countries,  their  respective 
American  colonies  likewise  engaged  in  murderous  conflict, 
which,  because  of  the  savages  enlisted  in  it,  was  fearfully 
destructive  of  life  and  property. 

By  the  opening  of  the  year  1753  affairs  had  reached  a 
crisis,  and  France,  in  order  to  fix  a  barrier  to  the  westward 
march  of  English  colonization,  and  thus  protect  her  wide 
possessions  in  the  West  and  South,  determined  to  run  a  line 
of  detached  posts  from  Niagara  and  Lake  Erie  to  the  head 
of  the  Ohio,  and  down  that  river.  The  Indians  w^ere  the 
first  to  take  alarm  at  this  movement;  and  in  April,  when 
the  news  reached  the  Upper  Ohio  that  a  French  force  was 
on  the  way  to  erect  forts  in  that  region,  the  Mingoes,  Dela- 
wares,  and  Shawnees  met  in  council  at  a  village  called 
Logston,  on  the  Ohio,  and  sent  an  envoy  to  Fort  Niagara 
to  protest  against  the  French  occupation,  but  their  protest 
was  unlieeded.     In  pursuance  of  a  pre-determined  plan, 


*  The  Five  Nations  were  increased  to  six  by  tlie  addition  of  the 
Tnscaroras  from  North  Carolina,  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  eighteenth 
century. 


Major  Washington's  Mission. 


321 


virtue 
Cabots, 
on  the 
forndty 
es  were 
;he  con- 
en  their 
x\  allies, 
l^uest,  all 
h  of  the 
1  and  the 

at  peace, 
standing, 
3t'  border 
the  tickle 
to  colon- 
n  war  ex-  ' 
respective 
j8  conflict, 
fearfully 

[reached  a 
westward 

her  vvide 
run  aline 

the  head 
^  were  the 
[^n\,  when 

force  was 
^oes,  Dela- 

ige  called 
|t  Niagara 

i\Y  protest 

Ined  plan, 

lition  of  the 
eighteenth 


the  French  soldiery,  under  General  Pierre  Paul,  Sieur  de 
Marin,  built  Fort  Presque  Isle  on  the  south-eastern  shore  of 
Lake  Erie,  near  tlie  present  city  of  Erie,  and  Fort  le  Boeuf 
on  the  head  waters  of  French  Creek,  fourteen  miles  south- 
east of  the  former  fort,  and  then  opened  a  wagon  road  be- 
tween the  two.  They  also  converted  into  a  military  station 
the  Indian  village  of  Venango,  situate  at  the  junction  of 
French  Creek  with  the  Alleghany  River ;  but  when  they 
undertook  to  erect  a  fort  at  the  forks  or  head  of  the  Ohio, 
they  came  into  collision  with  representatives  of  the  Ohio 
Company.  This  company,  which  had  been  formed  in  Vir- 
ginia as  early  as  1750,  was  authorized  by  the  Virginia  Coun- 
cil to  select  five  hundred  thousand  acres  of  land  on  both 
sides  of  the  Upper  Ohio  for  the  i)urpo8e  of  settlement,  and 
had  caused  surveys  to  be  made  of  the  lands  and  built  some 
houses  thereon.  The  French  troops,  however,  seized  sev- 
eral of  the  English  agents  and  traders  and  sent  them  pris- 
oners to  Canada,  and  warned  others  away, — an  arbitrary 
and  unfriendly  proceeding.  The  company  thereupon  made 
complaint  to  Rol)ert  Dinwiddle,  governor  of  Virginia,  who 
commissioned  young  George  Washington  (then  adjutant- 
general,  with  the  rank  of  major,  of  the  provincial  militia  in 
tlie  northern  division  of  the  colony)  to  be  the  bearer  of  a  let- 
ter to  the  comnumderof  the  French  forces  on  the  head  waters 
of  the  Ohio,  requiring  him  to  peaceably  withdraw  from  that 
territory,  which  was  claimed  as  a  part  of  Virginia,  and  as 
belonging  to  the  crown  of  Great  Britain. 

Major  Washington  started  on  his  difficult  mission  from 
Williamsburg  (the  old  capital  of  Virginia)  on  tlie  Slst  ot 
October,  1753,  tlrst  stopping  at  Fredericksburg  to  engage 
a  French  mterpreter,  and  proceeded  via  Alexandria  to  Win- 
chester, where  he  procured  horses  and  baggage,  and  thence 
journeyed  to  Wills  Creek.  Here  he  employed  a  guide  and 
four  men  as  servants,  and,  continuing  his  journey  over  the 
mountains  in  a  north-westerly  direction,  reached  the  junction 
of  Turtle  Creek  and  the  Monongahela  on  the  22d  of  Novem- 
ber, and  the  forks  of  the  Ohio  on  the  23d.  The  next  day 
.^  he  went  down  the  river  to  Logstown,  several  miles  below  the 
21 


322 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


1 1 


forks,  and  there  held  a  conference  witli  the  Indians  friendly 
to  the  Enp^lish  cause.  From  thence,  attetided  hy  a  small 
native  escort,  he  traveled  up  the  valley  of  the  Alleghany,  and 
its  tributary  of  Frencli  Creek,  to  Fort  le  Boeuf,*  whither 
he  arrived  on  the  11th  of  December.  Presenting  his  (!re- 
dentials  and  letter  to  Jacques  le  Gardeur  de  St.  Pierre,  who 
had  succeeded  the  Sieur  de  Marin  (then  recently  deceased)  in 
command  of  the  French  troops  in  tliat  quarter,  Washington 
was  politely  received  and  entertained  by  tlie  commander 
and  liis  statf.  Some  days  later,  on  taking  Ids  departure 
from  tlie  fort,  he  was  handed  a  letter  by  St.  Pierre  in  an- 
swer to  that  of  the  Virginia  governor. 

Major  Washington  and  liis  party  set  out  on  their  re- 
turn home  the  16th  of  December,  and  after  a  most  disa- 
greeable and  dangerous  winter  journey,  made  partly  on 
horseback  and  partly  afoot,  he  reached  Williamsburg  on 
January  16,  1754.  Calling  without  delay  upon  Governor 
Dinwi  Idie,  he  delivered  to  him  the  letter  of  reply  from  the 
French  commander,  with  which  he  had  been  intrusted,  and 
of  which  the  following:  is  a  translati*  '»  : 


"Sir:  As  I  have  the  honor  oi  commanding  here  in 
chief,  Mr.  Washington  delivered  to  me  the  letter  which  you 
wrote  to  the  commander  of  the  French  troops.  I  should 
have  been  glad  that  you  had  given  him  orders,  or  that  he 
had  been  inclined,  to  proceed  to  Canada  to  see  our  general ; 
to  whom  it  better  belongs  than  to  me  to  set  forth  the  evi- 
dence and  the  reality  of  the  rights  of  the  king,  my  master, 
to  the  land  situate  along  the  river  Ohio,  and  to  contest  the 
pretentions  of  the  King  of  Great  Britain  thereto. 

"  I  shall  transmit  your  letter  to  the  Marquis  du  Quesne. 
His  answer  will  be  a  law  to  me.  And  if  he  shall  order  nie 
to  communicate  it  to  you,  sir,  you  may  be  assured  I  will 
not  fail  to  dispatch  it  forthwitli  to  you.  As  to  the  sum- 
mons you  send  me  to  retire,  I  do  not  think  myself  obliged 
to  obey  it.  Whatever  may  be  your  instructions,  I  am  hero 
by  virtue  of  the  orders  of  general ;  and  I  entreat  you,  sir, 

*  Or  Fort  mr  la  RU'i^re  au  Boeuf .         r        •  -  v-         -   -    ..     _.^ 


General  St.  Pierre's  Letter  to  Governor  Dinwlddie.     323 


a  suvall 
my,  an«i 
whither 

hifl  ^-re- 
rro,  who 
eased) in 
rthington 
uiuunder 
leparture 
ere  in  an- 

their  re- 
rtost  diflii- 
partly  oii 
ishurg  on 

Governor 
y  from  the 
^uated,  and 


iir  here  i» 

which  you 

I  should 

or  that  he 

lir  general ; 

[th  the  evi- 
my  master, 
Contest  the 

|du  Quesne. 
11  order  me 
tired  I  will 
the  sum- 
lelf  obliged 
I  am  hero 
Lit  you,  sir, 


not  to  doubt  one  moment  but  that  I  am  determined  to  con- 
form myself  to  tliem  with  all  the  exactness  and  resolution 
which  can  ])e  expected  froni  the  best  officer.  T  do  not  know 
that  in  tlie  progress  of  this  campaign  any  thing  luis  passed 
which  can  be  reputed  as  an  act  of  hostility,  or  that  is  con- 
trary to  the  treaties  which  subsist  between  the  two  crowns, 
the  continuation  whereof  interesteth  and  is  as  pleasing  to 
us  as  to  the  Knglisli,"  etc. 

(Signed)  "  Le  Gardeuu  de  St.  Pierre. 

"  Dated"  December  15,  1758."  * 

When  this  rather  defiant  letter  had  been  read  and  con- 
sidered by  the  governor  and  council  of  Virginia,  an  order 
was  issued  to  raise  a  regiment  of  mounted  militia,  for  the 
double  purpose  of  driving  the  French  intruders  from  their 
territory,  and  of  com[)Ieting  and  garrisoning  tlie  post  at 
the  confluence  of  the  Alleghany  and  Monongahela  Rivers, 
the  erection   of   which    had   been    already  begun    by  the 
agents  of  the  Ohi(>  Company.     The  comnumd  of  this  regi- 
ment was  assigned  to  Colonel   Fry,  with  Washington   as 
lieutenant-colonel,  and  they  were  speedily  eciuipped  and  on 
their  way  across  the  mountains.    But  the  object  of  this  expe- 
dition was  thwarted  in  the  main  by  the  prompter  action  of  the 
French  under  Captain  Antoine  Pecody  Contrecoeur,  who, 
in  the  month  of  April,  in  anticipation  of  the  arrival  of  the 
Virginia  troops,  moved  down  to  the  liead  of  the  Ohio  with 
a  force  of  about  one  thousand  regulars  and  Indians,  and 
eighteen  pieces  of  cannon.     After  dispersing  the  employes 
of  the  company  and  a  small  body  of  militia,  whom  he  found 
there,  Contrecoeur  proceeded  to  finish  the  fort  whicli  they 
had  commenced,  and  named  it  Duquesne,  in  compliment  to 
the  commander  of  the  French  forces  in  Canada. 

Lietenant-Colonel  Washington  had  meantime  pushed 
forward,  with  one-half  of  the  Virginia  regiment,  in  advance 
of  the  rest,  to  a  place  called  the  Great  Meadows,  fifty  miles 
north-west  of  Wills  Creek  (afterward  Fort  Cumberland), 


*  Vide  "  Diaries  of  Washington,"  edited  by  Benson  J.  Lossing,  N.  Y., 
1860,  p.  247. 


■3E- 


■''"''■■'^SESSSSBP*^ 


324         The  Seven  Years'  War — Death  of  Jumonville. 

and  there  erected  a  rude  stockade  fort,  which  received  the 
name  of  Fort  I^ecessity,  While  he  was  thus  engaged,  N. 
Coulon  de  Jumonville,  a  young  French  officer,  was  sent 
from  Fort  Duquesne,  with  a  detachment  of  thirty  men,  to 
reconnoiter  his  movements  and  notify  him  to  surrender  the 
fort.  On  heing  apprised  by  Lis  scouts  of  the  approach  of 
the  French  party,  Washington  planned  to  fall  upon  them 
by  surprise.  Accordingly,  on  the  evening  of  the  27th  of 
May,  with  a  part  of  his  provincials  and  a  few  Indian  allies, 
he  suddenly  surrounded  De  Jumonviile's  camp,  at  a  se- 
cluded spot  called  the  Little  Meadows,  and  ordered  his 
men  to  ojien  fire.  In  the  brief  action  of  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  that  ensued,  the  Virginians  had  one  man  killed  and 
three  wounded  ;  while,  on  the  side  of  the  French,  ten  men 
were  either  killed  or  wounded,  and  the  remainder  made 
prisoners.  Among  the  .-ilain  was  M.  de  Jumonville,*  who 
commanded  the  French  party.  Th3  killing  of  this  brave 
young  officer,  who  bore  on  his  person  a  summons  to  the 
Virginians  to  surrender,  caused  much  excitement  in  Can- 
ada and  France,  where  it  was  cUiimed  to  be  a  violation  of 
the  law  of  nations,  and  it  contrii)uted  to  kindle  into  a  flame 
the  embers  of  war. 

So  soon  as  intelligence  of  this  bloody  encounter  was 
brouglit  to  the  Illinois,  Neyon  de  Villiers,  a  brother  of  the 
deceased  Jumonville,  and  captain  of  a.  company  then  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  Chr.rtres,  solicited  leave  of  Makarty,  tlie 
major-commandant,  to  go  and  avenge  the  death  of  his  rela- 
tive Permission  being  given,  De  Villiers  set  out  with  a 
considerable  force  of  French  and  Indians.  Passing  down 
the  Missi8sip]>i  and  up  tlie  Ohio  to  Fort  Duquesne,  he  was 
there  joined  by  M.  Coulon  de  Villiers,  with  other  forces, 
bent  upon  the  same  stern  errand.  The  French  on  the  Ohio, 
being  thus  re-infoiced,  took  the  offensive. 

Some  little  time  before  this  Colonel  Fry  had  deceased, 
and  Washington  euceeeded  to  the  full  command  of  his  regi- 

*  M.  Juinonvillo  de  Villiore  was  born  in  Pioardy,  France,  about  1725. 
He  was  one  of  sevi'ii  brotherH,  all  poldiiTH,  hIx  of  whom,  it  is  said,  wero 
killed  during  thiri  war.  His  death  was  uiade  Hit?  theme  of  a  short  epio 
poem  by  M.  Thomas,  a  Frencli  poet. 


Washington'' s  Surrenders  Fort  Neccssi/i/. 


325 


ed  t\ie 
red,  N. 
as  sent 
lien,  to 
dcr  the 
)U''h  of 
u  tliem 
27th  of 
in  aUies, 
at  a  sc- 
ored his 
,ev  of  an 
lied  and 

ten  men 
ler  made 
lie  *  who 
his  hrave 
m  to  the 
it  in  Can- 
^liition  of 

o  a  flame 

inter  was 
cr  of  the 
then  sta- 
:arty,  the 
f  liis  rela- 
iit  with  a 
lug  down 
10,  he  was 
10 r  forces, 
the  Ohio, 

deceased, 
If  his  regi- 

I  iibout  17'25. 

L  Btlill,  WlTl^ 

Iv  Bhort  epic 


nient.  Findino"  liiuisolf  confronted  1)V  u  .suiierior  force  of 
the  enemy,  he  now  fell  back  to  Fort  Xccessity,  at  the  Great 
Meadows,  wliich  he  strengthened  as  well  as  he  could  in  the 
brief  time  allowed  him.  Here,  on  the  3d  of  Jaly,  he  was 
attacked  by  De  Villiers,  with  an  army  of  some  six  hundred 
Frenchmen  and  over  one  hundred  Indians.  The  Viri^inia 
troops  made  a  stubborn  defense,  and  withstood  the  irregu- 
lar fire  of  the  French  and  their  allies  (who  slieltered  them- 
selves behind  the  forest  trees),  from  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing until  sunset.  At  length,  fearing  the  faihire  of  his  am- 
munition, and  not  desiring  to  sacrifice  tlie  lives  of  his  men 
by  storming  the  fort,  l)e  Villiers  sent  in  a  flag  of  truce 
offering  moderate  terms  of  capitulation.  In  view  of  his 
critical  situation,  Colonel  Washington,  after  some  parleying 
over  details,  accepted  the  terms  ottered.  13y  these  he  was 
allowed  to  march  ofl'his  troops  with  the  honors  of  war,  and 
to  carry  away  his  l)aggage,  but  was  required  to  leave  his 
cannon,  and  to  surrender  all  of  his  prisoners  previously 
taken.  In  this  frontier  battle  the  French  are  said  to  have 
lost  only  three  men  killed  and  a  few  wounded,  while  the 
Virginians,  penned  up  in  the  stockade  fort,  lost  over  thirty 
men  killed  and  wounded. 

When  the  news  of  these  stirring  events  reached  Encf- 
land  and  France,  l)oth  nations  prepared  to  settle  their  ter- 
ritorial disputes  by  the  arbitrament  of  the  sword,  though 
war  was  not  formally  declared  by  the  King  of  (ireat  Urilain 
until  May,  175(3.  Among  other  sources  of  irritation  be- 
tween the  two  governments  at  this  time  was  the  alleged 
encroachment  by  French  colonists  upon  the  <lomain  of  the 
l^aiglish  in  Acadia,  or  Nova  Scotia,  which  had  been  ceded 
to  England  by  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  in  1713,  but  the 
boundaries  of  which  remained  unadjusted. 

To  the  mere  supcrflcial  observer  the  impending  con- 
test seemed  a  very  uneciual  one.  The  po]tulation  of  tiio 
Anglo-American  colonies  aggregated  about  one  million 
and  a  quarter,  witii  wealth  and  military  resources  in  ]»ro- 
])ortion  ;  whereas,  the  French,  all  told,  did  not  count  more 
than  one  hundred  thousand  souls.  But  the  latter  were 
diflieult  to  be  reached,  for  the  reason  that  their  forts  and 


'-■'^'^'fsmsmssaBmm 


326 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


.  t  ■  'il 


settlements  were  situated  at  remote  points  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  surrounded  by  numerous  Indian  allies,  who  could 
be  o'lickly  summoned  to  their  aid ;  and  from  these  forest 
retreats  they  menaced  the  entire  western  English  frontier. 
Moreover,  the  regular  British  army  of  that  day  was  an  un- 
wieldy machine,  incumbered  with  heavy  baggage  and  mu- 
nitions, commanded  by  brave  yet  conceited  officers,  who 
were  inexperienced  in  the  wild  tactics  of  Indian  warfare, 
and  in  constant  danger  of  being  8ur})ri8ed  and  defeated 
by  a  lighter  equip])ed,  more  agile  and  vigilant  fee. 

In  February,  1755,  General  Edward  Braddock,  who 
had  been  given  the  cliief  command  in  the  English  colonies, 
arrived  at  Alexandria,  Virginia,  with  two  regiments  of 
regular  troops.  During  the  following  April  he  met  there 
the  governors  of  five  of  the  leading  provinces,  and  con- 
certed with  them  a  general  plan  of  campaign.  Three  sep- 
arate expeditions  were  planned;  one  against  Fort  Duquesne, 
to  be  commanded  by  Braddock  in  person ;  the  second, 
against  Forts  Niagara  and  Frontenac,  to  be  led  by  Gov- 
ernor William  Shirley,  of  Massachusetts ;  and  the  third, 
against  Crown  Point,  by  General  (afterward  Sir  William) 
Johnson. 

Early  in  May,  General  Braddock  set  out  with  his  army 
from  Alexandria  ui)on  his  luckless  expedition.  Arrived  at 
Fort  Cumberland,  on  the  Upper  Potomac,  he  was  there 
joined  by  several  hundred  Virginia  militia,  under  the  lead 
of  Colonel  Washington,  whom  he  had  invited  to  serve  as 
one  of  his  aides  de  camp.  Beitig  thus  reinforced,  nnd  hav- 
ing now  completed  the  equipment  of  his  army,  the  gen- 
eral resumed  his  march  on  the  10th  of  June.  But  the 
difficulty  and  delay  attending  the  opening  of  a  military 
road  across  the  mountains  induced  him,  partly  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  Washington,  to  leave  his  wagon  train  and  heavy 
cannon  behind  with  a  guard  of  eight  hundred  men,  under 
Colonel  Tlionuis  Dunbar,  and  to  press  forward  with  the 
main  body  of  liis  army,  over  twelve  hundred  strong,  in 
order  to  reach  the  French  fort  before  its  garrison  could 
be  reinforced,    After  reaching  and  fording  the  Monongaliela 


BraddocWs  Disastrous  Defeat. 


327 


Ider- 
-ould 
[brest 
ntier. 
11  un- 
l  mu- 
i,  who 
iirfare, 
jfeated 

c,  who 
)lomcs, 
BiitB  of 
st  tbere 
[id  con- 
ree  sep- 
iquesne, 

second, 
1)y  Gov- 

e  third, 
ilViain) 

Ills  army 
Irr'ived  at 
art  there 
the  h^ad 
nerve  aB 
\\\\\}  hav- 
|the  gcn- 
Uut  the 
military 
tiie  BUji:- 
|i>d  iieavy 
11,  under 
Nvit\i  the 
trong,  i'» 
\o\\  could 
kongahela 


River,  Braddock  marched  rapidly  to  the  north  down  tlie 
valley  of  that  stream. 

Meanwhile,  Daniel  Lienard  de  Beaujeu,  who  had  prac- 
tically, if  not  formally,  supplanted  Captain  Contrecoeur  in 
the  command  at  Fort  Duquesne,  heing  advised  hy  his  scouts 
of  Brnddock's  approach,  marched  out  with  a  force  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  Frenchmen,  and  six  hundred  and  fifty 
Indians,  to  intercept  his  advance.  Proceeding  up  the 
Monongahela  seven  miles  from  the  fort,  the  French  and 
Indians  concealed  themselves  in  the  thick  woods  on  the 
brow^  of  a  ridge  overlooking  the  banks  of  the  river,  along 
which  Braddock  was  expected  to  [)ass,  and  there  uneasily 
awaited  his  coming. 

In  th^  forenoon  of  the  9th  of  July,  the  British  force 
recrossed  the  river  near  the  mouth  of  Turtle  Creek,*  and 
without  taking  any  adequate  precautions  to  guard  against 
an  ambuscade,  boldly  climbed  the  first  bank,  and  advanced 
along  a  defile  of  the  second,  above  and  near  which  the 
enemy  lay  in  ambush.  And  now,  at  a  preconcerted  signal, 
the  Indians  raised  their  hideous  yell,  and  a  deadly  volley 
was  poured  upon  the  front  column,  which  checked  its  ad- 
vance, and  caused  it  to  fall  l)ack  on  the  center,  and  the  center 
on  the  rear,  which  was  hemmed  in  by  the  river.  Thus  this 
brave  army,  which  might  have  advanced  and  driven  the 
enemy  from  his  covert,  speedily  became  involved  in  inex- 
tricable confusion,  and,  after  a  murderous  confiict  of  three 
hours,  was  utterly  routed  and  })Ut  to  fiight.  Of  the  four- 
teen hundred  and  sixty  ofticers  and  men  who  v/ent  into  the 
battle  on  that  hot  .Inly  day,  only  five  hundred  and  eighty- 
tb.ree  .came  out  uninjured.  The  carnage  was  frightful 
among  the  officers,  who  were  picked  ofi'  by  the  French 
sharp-shooters.  General  Braddock  himself  Ibught  with 
great  intre[)idity,  but, "after  having  three  or  four  horses 
shot  under  him,  received  a  mortal  wound,  of  which  he  died 
a  few  days  later.  | 


*  Lii'utonant-Coloiu'l  (ijiyc,  who  led  \\\v  adviuuH'  cohimn,  liiHt  forded 
the  river,  and  Hent  buck  word  that  no  enemy  waH  in  Higlit,  wiiereupon 
the  rest  of  the  army  followed  after  him. 

tTluH  imprudent  and  unfortunate  commander  was  born  in  I'erth- 


328 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


The  French  loss,  not  conntiiiii^  tliat  of  their  Indian  al- 
lies, was  less  than  forty;  but  it  included  their  skillful  com- 
mander, Captain  Beanjeu,  who  had  ])lanned  the  ambuscade, 
and  who  was  killed  early  in  the  action.* 

Colonel  WashiuiJ^ton's  clothini):  was  riddled  with  bul- 
lets,  and  he  escaiied,  as  it  were  by  a  miracle,  from  that  field 
of  slaughter.  His  Virii^inia  riflemen,  despite  JJraddock's 
injudicious  orders  to  the  contrai'v,  took  j>osit':>ns  beliind 
trees  and  I'ocks,  and  luaintained  the  nnef^na!  fight  until 
more  than  lialf  of  them  were  killed  and  wounded.  With 
those  that  remained,  the  dauntless  and  self-possessed  colonel 
covered  the  retreat  of  the  routed  army.  Happily  for  the 
fugitives,  the  Indian  auxiliaries  of  the  Frencih  were  too  in- 
tent ui)on  the  sjtoils  of  the  battle  field  to  pursue  them 
beyond  the  river;  and  never  before,  in  a  single  engage- 
ment, had  the  savages  reaped  such  a  harvest  of  scalps  and 
booty  as  was  gathered  here.  The  panic  of  the  defeat  was 
quickly  communicated  to  the  rear-guard,  commanded  by 
the  pusillanimous  Colonel  Dunbar,  who  abandoned  his 
heavy  artillery  and  baggage,  and  fled  over  the  mountains 
to  Philadelphia,  leaving  the  frontier  settlements  defenseless. 

Owing  partly  to  the  discouragement  produced  by 
Braddock's  defeat,  the  other  exjieditions  that  .lad  been 
planned  by  him  and  the  colonial  governors,  for  that  year, 
also  ended  in  failure.  The  attempt  of  Governor  Shirley 
against  Forts  Froutenac  and  Niagara  wholly  miscarried. 
The   governor,  with  a  force  composed  principally  of  raw 


shire,  Scotland,  ahont  the  your  Id!)"),  and  had  risen  to  the  rank  ot'  major- 
general  after  forty  years  of  meritorious  service  in  th<'  liritish  army.  It  is 
alliruu'd,  on  what  seems  to  be  good  authority,  that  Braddoek  was  fatally 
shot  in  the  side  or  back  tit  tiie  battle  of  the  Rlonongahela,  by  one  of  the 
provincials,  whose  ))rother  had  been  stricken  down  by  the  irate  general 
for  refusing  to  obey  orders;  yet  it  is  ecjually  probable  tiiat  the  sh'»t  was 
accidental.  (Jeneral  Braddoek  expired  in  the  camp  of  Colonel  Dunbar, 
on  the  l!)th  of  July,  and  was  buried  in  the  military  highway,  seven 
miles  (>ast  of  Uniontown,  Ta.,  where  his  graven  is  still  shown. 

*  For  some  old  French  accounts  of  this  celebrated  battle,  see  '' llelaliom 
Direncs  H?f >•  la  Bata ilk  (f '  Malnmjnele,  (UtgnS  U'  \)th  a  Jouittct,  1 755,  par  Ir  Fran- 
cai«  sons  if.  tr  liranjni,  Comniatiihint  du  Fort  dit  iiuene,  «»/•  kn  Atujlois  nous 
M.  Braddoek,  (Uuiral  en  I'luf  dm  tronpfn  Angloiscs,"  pp.  xv.,  1)-51,  N.  Y., 
1800  ( — Crainoisy  Series  of  Kelatiijiis  relative  to  the  French  in  America), 


The  Reduction  of  Acadia. 


329 


.n  al- 
com- 
icade, 

i  bul- 
t  field 
ilook's 
jebind 
:  until 

With 
colonol 
for  the 
too  iu- 
e  tlieiu 
engrtge- 
ilprt  and 
teat  was 
nded  V)y 
)i\ed   his 
ountaius 
bnseless. 
need   hy 

ad  been 

lat  year, 
Shirley 

si-arried. 

:  of  raw 

oi;  niajor- 
Inny.    ^t  is 
lw;iH  fiitivUy 
one  of  the 
|xte  geiu'val 
w  sh^^t  was 
[ol  l)unV)ar, 
Lay,  st'vcn 

[o  "  AV/at'0»w 
ifuv  h'  Fran- 

])-r,"l,N.  Y., 
Ii  America). 


militia,  marched  to  Oswego,  on  Lake  Ontario  ;  but,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  lateness  of  the  season,  and  the  difficulty  of 
procuring  provisions  and  transports,  he  abandoned  tlie  ex- 
pedition and  returned  to  Albany. 

It  is  true  that  the  Acadians  of  Nova  Scotia  were  re- 
duced to  subjection,  by  a  fleet  fitted  out  for  that  purpose  at 
Boston,  with  a  land  force  of  over  two  thousand  men  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  John  Winslow\  of  Massachusetts. 
After  the  treatv  of  1748,  the  French  iidiabitants  of  that 
peninsula,  living  on  the  disputed  territory,  had  not  only 
refused  to  take  the  oath  of  nnqualified  allegiance  to  the 
King  of  England,  but  had  contributed  material  aid  to  their 
own  countrymen  in  the  existing  war.  They  were  now  (in 
August,  1755)  inhumanly  punished  for  their  contumacy. 
Their  petty  forts  at  the  head  of  the  iiay  of  Fundy  were 
taken  and  demolished  ;  their  villages  were  burned,  and  their 
farms  laid  waste.  As  nuiny  as  three  thousand  of  the  poor 
Acadians — men,  women  and  children — were  forcibly  put 
on  shipboard  and  transjtorted  to  the  other  English  colonies, 
where  they  were  distributed  around  as  paupers.  Some  of 
these  unhappy  exiles,  as  we  shall  see,  eventually  found  an 
asylum  in  Low^er  Louisiana,  where  they  established  a  thrifty 
and  permanent  settlement.* 

The  army,  under  General  Johnson,  which  was  intended 
to  operate  against  Crown  Point,  on  Lake  ('hamplain, 
reached  the  south  end  of  Lake  George  in  the  latter  })art  of 

*  Longfellow  has  firriii)lii''ally  pi>rtrayi'(l  tlic  toucliing  sccneH  in  this 
deportation  of  the  unfortnnate  AcaiHanK,  and  thrown  around  it  the  halo 
of  romance,  in  the  poiiwhed  Ktanzas  of  his  "  Evangeline,"  beginning 
with  these  lines: 

"In  the  Acadian  land,  on  tlic  sliorcs  of  the  Basin  of  Minas, 
Distant,  HCchuU-il,  still,  the  little  villagt;  of  (irand  I're 
Lay  in  the  fruitful  valley." 

The  history  of  the  Acadians  is  long,  varied  and  interesting.  They 
were,  in  truth,  the  sport  of  fortune  from  the  time  of  DeMonts  (Ui04) 
until  the  treaty  of  Paris,  in  1763.  Their  descendants,  however,  are  still 
nunie''ouH  in  northern  Xova  Scotia.  The  name  of  this  |)eninsu1a  was 
first  changed  from  Acadia  to  Nova  Scotia  in  lO'Jl.  when  Sir  Wni.  Alex- 
ander obtained  a  grant  of  the  country  from  James  L,  and  undertook  to 
colonize  it  with  Scotchnicn. 


"^S^i^i^^e»i^!A^§§ii 


330 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


August,  (1755),  when  informatioti  was  received  that  two 
thousand  of  the  enemy,  commanded  by  Baron  Dieskau, 
who  had  lecently  arrived  witn  fresh  troops  from  France, 
were  marching  against  Fort  Edward,  on  the  Hudson.  Gen- 
eral Johnson  thereupon  detached  Colonel  Williams,  with  a 
strong  force,  to  intercept  this  movement  of  the  French. 
Colonel  Williams  unexpectedly  fell  in  with  the  army  of 
Baron  Dieskau,  on  the  8th  of  September,  when  a  bloody 
action  took  place,  in  which  the  English  were  defeated  and 
put  to  flight,  and  Williams  himself  was  slain.  But  when 
the  French,  flushed  with  their  success,  advanced  to  attack 
the  main  body  of  Johnson's  army,  they  were  warmly  re- 
ceived, and,  after  an  obstinate  conflict,  were  driven  from 
the  fleld  with  heavy  loss,  Dieskau  himself  being  mortally 
wounded  and  taken  prisoner.  Satisfied  with  this  hard-won 
victory,  General  Johnson  gave  over  the  further  prosecution 
of  his  movement  against  Crown  Point.  Soon  after  these 
events,  the  English  constructed  a  regular  fort  at  the  head 
of  Lake  George,  and  called  it  Fort  William  Henry. 

In  July,  1756,  Lora  Loudon  arrived  in  America,  as 
commander-in-chief  of  the  British  forces.  An  army  of 
about  twelve  thousand  men  was  raised  this  year,  which  was 
better  prepared  to  take  the  fleld  than  any  other  that  had 
been  assembled  within  the  colonies.  But  the  change  of 
commanders  delayed  military  operations,  and  nothing  of 
any  consequence  was  acconiiilished  by  the  nglish  army. 
The  French,  however,  under  the  able  conduct  of  the  Mar- 
quis de  Montcalm,  struck  at  least  one  vigorous  blow.  This 
was  directed  against  Fort  Ontario,  at  Oswego,  on  Lake 
Ontario.  In  the  early  part  August  they  attacked  this  fort, 
"with  a  strong  armament,  and  quickly  compelled  its  sur- 
render, with  a  garrison  of  over  one  thousand  men,  and  a 
large  ([Uivntity  of  artillery  and  valuable  stores.  By  the  loss 
of  Oswego,  and  the  defeat  of  Braddock  in  the  preceding 
year,  all  the  western  country  was  laid  open  to  the  ravages 
of  the  onemy;  and  the  Indians,  sustained  and  encouraged 
by  the  French,  now  wasted  the  frontiers  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Virginia,  in  ])articular,  with  a  pitiless  and  desolating 
war. 


Montcalm  Takes  Fort  William  Henry. 


331 


two 

skau, 
•iince, 
Gen- 
vitVi  a 
rench. 
my  of 
bloody 
ed  and 
t  when 
,  attack 
nily  re- 
>n  tVoni 
nortally 
ard-won 
sedition 
tcr  these 
the  head 

lerica,  as 
army  of 
hich  was 
that  had 
■hange  of 
thing  of 
iflli  army. 
I  the  Mar- 
»w.     This 
on  T.akvi 
this  fort, 
Id  its  sur- 
len,  and  a 
ky  the  loss 
Ipreceding 
lie  ravages 
Itconraged 
Lusylvania 
[desolating 


The  next  year,  1757,  was  marked  by  the  same  inactiv- 
ity and  ineiRciency  on  the  part  of  the  English,  and  by  an- 
other snccessful  expedition  on  the  side  of  the  French.  The 
English  colonists,  as  a  rule,  displayed  great  energy  in  rais- 
ing men  and  money  for  the  war ;  but  their  efforts  were 
paralyzed  by  the  want  of  concert  with  each  other,  by  the 
necessity  of  awaiting  orders  from  England,  and  by  the 
dilatory  and  do-nothing  policy  of  the  incompetent  gen- 
erals sent  over  to  command  them.  On  the  other  hand, 
Montcalm,  as  general-in-chief  of  the  French,  not  being 
obliged  to  take  counsel  with  any  one  (unless  it  was  the 
governor  of  Canada),  speedily  collected  a  force  of  about 
eight  thousand  men,  including  Canadians  and  Indians,  with 
which  he  passed  up  lakes  Cham[>lain  and  George,  and  laid 
siege  to  Fort  William  Henry.  The  garrison  here  was  nearly 
three  thousand  strong,  commanded  by  Colonel  Monroe,  a 
brave  officer,  and  General  Webb  was  at  Fort  Edward,  only 
fourteen  miles  avvav,  with  four  thousand  more.  But  the 
latter  made  no  effort  to  succor  the  beleagured  fort,  and 
manifested  so  much  indifference  to  its  fate  that  he  was  sus- 
pected of  treachery.  After  standing  a  close  siege  for  six 
days,  and  seeing  that  he  was  to  have  no  relief  from  General 
Webb,  Colonel  Monroe  ca[)itulated  on  terms  honorable  to 
himself  and  the  garrison.  But  the  savage  auxiliaries  of 
the  French,  paying  no  regard  to  the  articles  of  capitula- 
tion, nor  to  the  entreaty  of  Montcalm,  fell  upon  the  En- 
glish after  the  surrender,  robbed  them  of  their  baggage 
and  other  effects,  massacred  their  sick  and  wounded,  and 
killed  and  scalped  the  Indians  in  their  serviiie. 

The  unexpected  capture  of  this  valuable  ])()st,  together 
with  the  Indian  atrocities  attending  it,  caused  great  alarm 
throughout  New  York  and  New  England,  and,  when  too 
late,  large  re-infoi'cements  of  militia  were  assembled  and 
sent  forward  to  Albany  and  Fort  Kdwartl.  Meantime, 
however,  General  Montcalm,  after  ravaging  the  settle- 
ments on  the  Mohawk  River,  retired  into  Canada. 

Tiius  far  the  war  had  been  very  disastrous  and  dis- 
couraging to  the  English.  After  three  cons(H;utive  cam- 
paigUH,  tlie  French  not    only  retained   every  foot   of  the 


332 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


disputed  territory,  but  had  captured  Oswego,  driven  their 
antagonists  from  Lake  George,  and,  through  their  Indian 
confederates,  had  carried  the  brand  and  tomahawk  into 
the  heart  of  the  EngUsh  settlements.  To  remedy  this 
scries  of  defeats  in  America,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  Will- 
iam Pitt,  afterward  Earl  of  Chatham,  was  called  to  the 
head  of  the  English  ministry.  He  took  the  helm  in  June, 
1757,  and  by  his  vigor  and  consummate  ability,  soon  gave 
a  new  and  surprising  turn  to  affairs. 

In  the  spring  of  1758,  General  Abercrombie,  who 
hud  been  appointed  to  the  chief  command  in  place  of 
Lord  Loudt)n,  found  himself  at  the  head  of  about  fifty 
thousand  fighting  men,  one-half  of  whom  were  regulars. 
This  was  the  largest  force  that  had  ever  been  seen  in 
America,  and  from  it  was  expected  great  results.  On  the 
other  hand,  all  the  French  Canadians  capable  of  bearing 
arms  did  not  exceed  twenty  thousand,  and  they  had  been 
so  constantly  in  the  service  that  agriculture  was  neglected, 
and  the  horrors  of  partial  famine  were  added  to  those  of 
war. 

On  the  28th  of  May  a  powerful  arnuiment,  which  luid 
been  fitted  out  in  England,  sailed  from  Halifax  for  the 
reduction  of  Louisburg — the  Dunkirk  of  New  France — 
which  was  defended  by  the  Chevalier  de  Druciourt,  with 
3,100  men.  The  English  tieet,  consisting  of  twenty  ships 
of  the  line  and  eighteen  frigates,  besides  numerous  trans- 
ports, was  commanded  by  Admiral  Boscawen,  and  carried 
a  land  force  of  fourteen  thousand  men,  under  General 
Amherst.  Arrived  before  Louisburg  the  2d  of  June,  a 
close  investment  was  begun  of  the  town  both  by  sea  and 
land.  After  a  stul)boru  defense,  the  French  garrison  sur- 
rendered on  the  27th  of  -luly,  and,  together  with  the 
sailors  and  marines  (amounting  in  all  to  5,737  men),  were 
transported  [irisouers  oi'  war  to  Englaiul.  The  loss  of 
this  colossal  fortress,  with  all  its  cannon,  mortars,  military 
stores,  and  shipping  in  the  harbor,  was  the  nuist  eft'ectual 
blow  that  France  had  received  sincf^  the  beginning  of  the 
war.     It  made  the  English  masters  of  the  entire  coast  from 


Defeat  of  General  Abercrombic  at  Tkondcroga.        333 


their 
i\(Vian 
:  into 
y  this 

WiU- 
[o  the 
.  June, 
n  gave 

e,  who 
laoe   of 
ut  titty 
egulars. 
seen  in 

On  the 

bearing 
lad  heen 
eglected, 
,  those  of 

[hicii  iieul 
for  tlie 
Pvanec — 
nrt,  witii 
nty  siiip*^ 
\is  trans- 
d  carried 
General 
June,  a 
^'  sea  and 
L*iaon  fiur- 
with    the 
en),  were 
Ic    loss  of 
1,  niilitary 
etfectual 
Lg  of  the 
loast  from 


Halifax  to  the   mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  greatly 
facilitated  their  conquest  of  Canada.* 

Early  in  July  of  that  year,  General  Abercronibie  moved 
with  an  armv  of  fifteen  thousand  eftective  men  asrainst  Fort 
Ticonderoga,  on  Lake  Chami)laiu.  Montcalm  had  mean- 
time thrown  himself  with  a  strong  force  into  the  fort,  and 
had  so  obstructed  the  approach  to  it  by  an  abatis  of  felled 
trees  that  it  was  impregnable,  except  by  the  processes  of  a 
regular  siege.  The  English  troops,  with  more  courage  than 
calculation,  attacked  the  enemy's  lines  in  front,  and,  after 
a  desperate  coiiilict  of  four  hours,  were  routed  with  heavy 
loss,  and  retreated  precipitately  to  their  camp  at  the  foot  of 
Lake  George.  To  offset  this  mortifying  defeat,  the  result 
of  bad  gcneralshi[>,  Colonel  John  Hradstreet  was  shortly 
detached,  with  a  force  of  tliree  thousand  ])rovincials,  on  an 
expedition  againset  Fort  Frontenac.  He  crossed  the  outlet 
of  Ontario  Lake,  landed  within  a  mile  of  the  fort,  plaiited 
his  batteries,  and  speedily  compelled  the  surrender  of  its 
garrison  and  munitions.  By  the  ca[>ture  and  demolition  of 
Fort  Frontenac,  the  English  gained  practical  control  of 
Lake  Ontario,  and  cut  off  the  main  line  of  communication 
between  Montreal  and  the  French  posts  in  the  West. 

While  these  momentous  events  were  transpiring  in  the 
north.  General  Joseph  Forbes,  who  had  been  appointed  to 
command  the  expedition  to  the  Ohio,  was  slowly  advancing, 
with  an  army  of  seven  thousand  men  (including  wagoners, 
sutlers,  and  camp-followers),  to  the  compiest  of  Fort  I)u- 
quesne.  The  British  general  left  J*hiladelphia  in  June, and 
was  joined  en  route  by  Colonel  Washington,  with  two  regi- 
ments of  Virginia  militia.  In  consequence  of  the  serious 
obstacles  encountered  in  opening  a  new  road  across  the 
Alleghanies,  this  army  was  greatly  retarded  in  its  march, 


•'  The  fortifications  at  Louisburg  (which  stood  on  the  south-eastern 
Bide  of  Cape  Breton  Island)  had  been  thirty  years  in  building,  and  had 
(•CSV  the  French  government  over  $5,000,000.  After  this  second  capture 
by  the  British,  the  fortress  was  demolished  and  never  again  re-l.uilt. 
The  town  itself  was  ruined  during  the  siege,  and  its  present  population 
comprises  only  a  few  fishermen. 


334 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


and  did  not  reach  the  head  of  the  Ohio  till  the  25th  of 
November. 

In  the  meantime  Colonel  Grant,  commanding  a  de- 
tachment from  the  main  army,  had  pushed  ahead  to  recon- 
noiter  the  situation  of  the  fort.  But  he  was  suddenly  at- 
tacked and  driven  back  with  considerable  loss,  by  M.  Aubry, 
who  had  recently  arrived  with  a  reinforcement  of  French 
troops  from  the  Illinois. 

When  General  Forbes  reached  Fort  Duoue8ne,he  found 
it  deserted  nnd  burned.  The  French  garrison,  numbering 
about  five  hundred  men,  had  set  fire  to  the  wooden  building 
on  the  preceding  night,  and  fied  down  the  river  in  boatsi 
carrying  with  them  their  ordnance  and  stores.  Taking 
quiet  possession  of  tlie  burnt  fort,  Forbes  caused  it  to  be 
forthwith  repaired,  and  changed  its  name  to  Fort  Pitt,  in 
compliment  to  the  English  prime  minister.  At  the  same 
time  he  sent  out  a  body  of  men  to  the  battle-ground  on  the 
Monongahela,  to  bury  the  dead  soldiers  of  Braddock's 
army,  whose  bones  had  been  left  to  bleach  there  for  three 
years  on  the  hillsides. 

Leaving  two  regiments  of  provincials  as  a  garrison  at 
Fort  Pitt,  General  Forbes  returned  by  short  marclies  to 
Philadelphia  ;  but  his  constitution  was  so  broken  by  the  ex- 
posure and  fatigues  of  the  campaign,  that  he  died  shortly 
after  his  arriva'  thither.  And  now  the  Indian  nations, 
throughout  the  region  of  the  Up})er  Ohio,  seeing  that  the 
French  were  losing  ground,  and  ever  ready  to  join  the 
stronger  side,*  made  overtures  of  peace  to  the  Englisli.  A 
treaty  of  pacification  was  accordingly  entered  into  with 
them,  which  gave  security  for  a  few  years  to  the  border 
settlements  in  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia. 

In  passing  down  the  Ohio  from  Fort  Duquesne,  xvl. 
Aubry,  the  French  commander,  made  a  halt  about  thirty- 
six  miles  above  its  mouth,  and  there  on  the  site  of  a  former 
fortlet,  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  river,  commenced 
building  a  fort,  at  which  he  left  one  hundred  men  for  gar- 


*  In  this  particular,  they  were  not  uulike  many  of  the  more  civilized 
descendants  of  Adam. 


Fort  Massac  on  the  Ohio. 


335 


>tb  of 

a  de- 
reeon- 
\\y  at- 
^ubry, 
i'reucli 

■i  found 
ibering 
uilding 
11  boatai 
Taking 
it  to  be 
Pitt,  in 
he  same 
d  on  the 
iiddock's 
for  three 

rrison  at 
iH'hes  to 
ly  the  ex- 
ll  shortly 
nations, 
tbat  tiie 
join  the 
krlish.    A 
Into  with 
^e  border 

liesne,  ivi- 
lit  rhirty- 
a  former 
lunienced 
for  gar- 


rison duty,  and  returned  with  the  rest  to  Fort  Chartrea. 
The  new  post  was  called  Fort  Massac,  in  compliment  to  M. 
Massac,  or  Marsiac,  the  odieer  who  first  commanded  there. 
This  was  the  last  fort  erected  by  tlie  French  on  the  Ohio, 
and  it  was  occupied  by  a  garrison  of  French  troops  until 
the  evacuation  of  the  country  under  the  stipulations  of  the 
Treaty  of  Paris,  in  1763.* 


ire  CIV 


ilized 


*  Moiu'tte's  "  Valley  of  the  IMississippl,"  vol.  i,  p.  317. 
Note. — The  early  French  history  of  Fort  Massac  dates  back  to  tlu* 
beginning  of  the  last  century,  but  it  is  obscured  by  time  and  fiction. 
Dr.  Lewis  C.  Beck,  in  his  "  Gazetteer  of  Illinois  and  Missouri  "  (Albany, 
N.  Y.,  1823,  p.  114),  describing  the  place,  says:  "A  fort  was  first  built 
here  by  the  P'rench  when  in  possession  of  this  ;;ountry.     The  Indians, 
who  were  then  at  war  with  them,  laid  a  curious  stratagem  to  take  it, 
wliich  answered  their  purpose.     A  number  of  them  appeared  in  the 
daytime  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  each  of  whom  was  covered 
with  a  bear-skin,  and  walked  on  all-fours.     Supposing  them  to  be  bears, 
a  party  of  the   French  crossed  the  river  in  ,>ursuit  of  them.     The  re- 
mainder of  the  troops  left  their  quarters,  and  resorted  to  the  bank  of  the 
river  in  front  of  the  fort  to  observe  the  sport.     In  the  meantime  a  large 
body  of  warriors,  who  were  concealed  .iji  the  woods  near  by,  came 
silently  up  behind  the  fort  and  entered  it  without  opposition,  and  very 
few  of  the   Frenchmen   escaped   the  carnage.     They  afterward  built 
another  fort  on  the  same  ground,  and  called  it  Massac  (or  Massacre),  in 
nuMr.ofy  of  this  disastrous  event."     This  romantic  story  is  repeated  by 
.fudge  Hall,  in    his  "Sketches  of  the   West,"   and   by  other   western 
writers.    Ex-Governor  Reynolds,  in  his  "Own  Times"  (2d  ed.,  p.  16), 
writes  more  specnfically  of  tin;  fort,  as  follows:  "  Fort  Massac  was  first 
established  by  the  French  about  the  year  1711,  and  was  also  a  Ujission- 
ary  station.     It  was  only  a  small  fort  until  the  war  commenced  in  1755, 
between  the  English  and  the  French.     In  1756  (1758),  the  fort  was  en- 
larged and  made  a  respectable  fortress,  considering  the  wilderness  it  was 
in.     It  was  at  this  ])lafc  that  tlie  Christian  missionaries  (finst)  instructed 
the  southern  Indians  in  the  gospel  precepts,  and  it  was  here  also  that 
the  French  soldiers  made  a  resolute  stand  against  the  enemy."     Fort 
Massac  was  subsequently  maintained  by  the  United  States  government 
as  a  military  j)08t,  and  a  few  families  resided  in  the  immediate  vicinity, 
until  after  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812-14.     During  this  later  period  of 
its  history  it  was  sometimes  called  the  "old  Cherokee  Fort,"  from  the 
river  of  that  name,  better  known  as  the  Tennessee.     In  1855  Reynolds 
visited  the  place,  which,  in  his  "Own  Times,"  he  thus  describes:  "The 
outside  walls  were  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet  square,  and  at  each 
angle  strong  bastions  were  erected.    The  walls  were  palisaded,  with 
earth  between  the  wood ;  a  large  well  was  sunk  in  the  fortress ;  and  the 
whole  appeared  to  have  l)een  strong  and  substantial  in  its  day.    Three 
or  four  acres  of  graveled  walks  were  made  on  the  north  of  the  fort,  oa 


'„!lJlJ!!J.l4#i!H4J. 


336 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


Stimulated  bv  the  brilliant  successes  that  had  attended 
their  arms  in  the  campaign  of  1758,  the  Britiwh  ministry  re- 
solved to  make  a  supreme  effort  the  next  year  for  the  com- 
plete conquest  of  Canada.  The  Anglo-American  colonies, 
zealously  seconding  the  exertions  of  the  home  government, 
brought  into  the  field  twenty  thousand  provincials,  and 
raised  a  large  sum  of  money  for  their  equipment  and  sus- 
tenance. At  a  general  military  council,  held  early  in  the 
year  1759,  it  was  decided  to  invade  Canada  with  three  dif- 
ferent armies,  which  should  enter  the  country  by  three 
separate  routes,  and  commence  offensive  operations  at  about 
the  same  time.  The  command  of  the  first  and  principal 
expedition,  which  was  destined  against  Quebec,  was  in- 
trusted to  General  James  Wolfe,  a  young  brigadier  of  great 
enterprise  and  promise,  who  had  distinguished  himself  by 
his  valor  and  conduct  at  the  reduction  of  Louisburg.  Of 
the  two  subsidiary  expeditions,  one,  under  General  Sir  Jef- 
frey Amherst,  was  to  proceed  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain 
to  Montreal,  and  the  other  was  to  march  against  Fort 
Niagara. 

General  Amherst's  operations  were  impeded  and  re- 
stricted by  a  lack  of  vessels  and  transports.  Yet  Ticon- 
deroga  and  Crown  Point  successively  fell  into  his  hands 
without  a  struggle — the  danger  to  Quebec  having  caused 
the  withdi;!  val  of  the  greater  part  of  their  French  garri- 
sons— and  a  detachment  of  liis  army  attacked  and  burned 
the  Indian  village  of  St.  Francis,  whence  many  of  those 
scalping  parties  were  believed  to  have  issued,  which  had 
ravaged  the  frontiers  of  New  England.  General  Prideaux 
was  unhappily  killed  by  the  bursting  of  a  gun  at  the  siege 
of  Niagara;  but  his  successor  in  command.  Sir  William 
Johnson,  on  the  24th  of  July,  defeated  a  force  of  twelve 
hundred  French  and  Indians,  who  had  advanced  to  relieve 
the  fort,  and  he  pressed  the  siege  so  vigorously  that  the 
garrison    soon    capitulated.      Johnson    should    then   have 


whicli  the  soldiers  paraded.  These  walks  were  made  in  exact  augiej*, 
and  are  beautifully  graveled  with  pebbles  from  the  river.  The  site  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  on  La  Belli'  Riviere,  and  commands  a  view  that 
is  charming." 


Wolfe's  Victory  Over  Mnnf.  i 

.       oi-atc  With  yTrnTZ  ";;'  ^   "'■  ^-"'-"ee,  to  eo- 
--t  of  faei,iti,3  for       „  "^  ^';  ."'■"»   Q'-bee,  but   tl 

in  the  latter  nnrf    +•  t 

«™^  of  eight  thousand  T^i^M-  "  P''?'''""'  '''"'''  ""<»  an 
hardly  erjual  in  number  to  tlj'^fT  "'^ ''"■■^o.  though 
*<"■  '■quipped  and  provisiol  k  /  ""  *^'''"'*-'''.  was  bet- 
vantage  of  one  of  the     "n?    '  .  "'  *<>  '"""^ ''ad  the  ad 

-o^id,  Which  had  bt;';: rj''''"™,'  '■'"■•—  i  %'; 

.ey  were  oon,„,anded  b/r2e*7  "•■""'  by  art,  and 
wl'o  had  merited  tlie  firet  hnf  consummate  abilitv 

-.ht  to  bombard  Qn'ot  ^rs  Zt     '"  '""^  »«  ^"'^ 
on  the  opposite  height  of  theV,    t       "'""'  "*  ^'^int  Levi 
the  Freneh  intrencfmen  ow -tl^r"":""'  "^  "»-"^ed 

Charles,  his  ettbrts  wore  e..;i  T  ''"^■'  along  the  St 

v^ilance  of  M,,,,^    Bu  "a ft"';"-^'  "^^^  «'«  'act  and 
«nts,  the  British  genera  ..mM       "'•>''"«  ^«"ons  e^:nedi 
-oving  his  forces'f      r  ,    '^:' '"'  "P«-  the  bold  de!^',  '„; 
erat,ons)  up  the  river  ■„     tt,       ,      °''''"'™  (''is  base  of  „n 
flat-botto„.ed   boats,  a,    '  i      ;',f  "PP-^'  "own  at  nig,  t,t 
known  as  the  Heights  of  Ab  alnm     '^^  ""  '"■^''  '^"'«™ 
""le  above  the  eitadel  of  (iZfr'T^^'  "  ?"'"'  ""^""t  »»« 
«as  us  skillfully  executed  as   t  L  L*"^  ?*''-' "'"vement 
t'  ough  the  aclivity  was  so  st  ep  1,   !"     "  "^'^  '"""'"'-l. 
d.ors  could,  with  difficulty,  cli'",b  i  P*"  ''""  «'«  «oI- 

J«*"g  rocks  and  roots  ^    t   '  s      ll  "''"''"^  *"  "'«  P'- 
a  id  chagnn  that  the  English  had  .j    '""•".'"^  "'th  surprise 
-rear  where  his  defele  Vte  rl  hi;"""'!  '^  ""^'"•°' '  ■" 
t''at  a  battle  was   unavoidable    M  ,""''•  "'"'  «'«ing 

army  of  five  thousand  men  m  t,',e    ^      '"'    '^"'^-  "«   hi! 
'-™.  and  put  the  fate  Tf  C  ""  d^  "'"'""f  P'^'"  '-'"'nd  the 
-^agoment.     Nor  was   the   i^™;','"'"  '"'''"•''  "''  "  ^'^'e 
"O'ne  skirmishing  in  front  by  ridv^f^r",'   ""'""•     ^"^^ 


;k 


338 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


delivered  it  with  decisive  effect.  The  Frencli  fought  with 
valor  and  determination  iintil  the  fall  of  their  ^aneral  and 
his  second  in  coniniand,  when  they  retreated,  and  were  pur- 
sued almost  to  the  gates  of  the  city. 

Tliis  famous  battle  was  fought  September  13,  1759. 
The  English  lost  in  killed  and  wounded  six  hundred  men, 
and  the  Frencli  nearly  one  tfiousand.  Generals  Wolfe  and 
Montcalm  were  both  mortally  wounded,  the  former  dying 
on  the  field  of  conflict,  and  tlie  latter  on  the  next  day  within 
the  city  walls.*  On  the  18th  of  that  month  the  citadel  of 
Quebec  was  formally  surrendered,  and  received  a  British 
garrison  of  five  tfiousand  men.  The  royal  ensign  of  France, 
wfiich,  with  a  single  interval  of  three  years,  had  waved 
over  this  fortress  for  a  century  and  a  half,  was  now  low- 
ered from  its  staff,  and  in  its  place  was  unfui'led  the  victo- 
rious cross  of  St.  George. 

liut  the  submission  of  Canada  did  not  immediately 
follow  after  the  fall  of  Quebec.  The  war  was  further  pro- 
tracted. The  Clievalier  de  Levis  succeeded  to  tfie  com- 
mand made  vacant  by  the  death  of  Montcalm,  and  strove 
to  retake  the  city  by  a  coup  de  main.  Another  pitched 
battle  was  fought  a  few  miles  above  (Quebec,  on  the  28th 
of  April,  1760,  in  which  the  French  army  gained  the  ad- 
vantage, and  they  made  the  most  strenuous  yet  unavailing 
efforts  to  recover  their  lost  citadel  and  seat  of  power.  It 
was  not  until  tfie  3th  of  September,  1760,  when  the  united 
British  forces  were  concentrated  before  Montreal,  that  ar- 
ticles of  ca[>itulation  were  signt^d  by  the  governor-general, 
the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil.  By  tliese"  terms  Canada  and 
its  dependencies  were  surrendered  to  the  English  crown, 
witli  a  reservation  to  the  French  inhabitants  of  their  civil 
and  religi(jus  privileges. 

l^]([nally  un8Ucceri8ful,both  in  Fjuro[)c  and  America,  and 
exhiiUHted  by  lier  great  and  ))rotracted  exertions,  France 
now  made  overtures  of  peace.     These  vv'ere  favorably  con- 


*  After  receiving  his  mortal  womui,  M(vntealm  whh  carried  into  the 
city  ;  and  when  infornietl  that  he  could  Hurvive  only  a  few  hourB,  lie 
replied:  "  So  much  tlie  better;  I  shall  not  then  live  to  see  tht  surren- 
der of  Quebec," 


Submission  of  Canada  to  the  English  Crown.         339 


with 
i  pur- 

1759. 

men, 
,fe  and 
■  dying 
witbin 
Dadel  of 
British 
ji' ranee, 

waved 
ow  iow- 
le  vlcto- 

iiediately 
ther  pro- 
the  eom- 
tid  strove 
piteiied 
the  28tb 
il  the  ad- 
niivailing 
lower.    It 
■lie  unite«i 
|l,  that  ar- 
,r-general, 
Hilda  and 
ah  crown, 
their  civil 

Iverica,  and 
L,  trance 
Irahly  con- 

LmI  into  the 
Inv  hours,  h« 
le  tht  &urrcn- 


sidered  by  England,  and  every  thing  seemed  in  a  fair  way 
of  adjustment,  wlien  the  negotiations  were  suddenly  broken 
ofl'  by  the  attempt  of  the  court  of  Versailles  to  bring  in  the 
aft'airs  of  Spain  and  Germany.  A  secret  compact  of  the 
Bourbon  princes  to  support  each  other,  in  peace  and  in  war, 
had  rendered  Spain  averse  to  a  treaty  which  weakened  her 
ally,  and  this  induced  France  to  once  more  try  the  fortunes 
of  war.  As  the  interests  of  these  two  nations  were  thus 
identical,  it  only  remained  for  the  King  of  Ep/^land  to  pro- 
claim hostilities  with  Spain.  The  New  Phigland  cole  sm- 
being  interested  in  the  reduction  of  the  West  Indi  ■,  ^.-  - 
account  of  their  commerce  witli  them,  furnished  a  iiLorMi 
quota  of  men  and  means  for  continuing  the  war;  and 
a  great  fleet  was  dispatched  from  old  England,  bearing  a 
land  force  of  some^  sixteen  thousand  men.  These  combined 
forces  acted  with  such  vigor  and  celerity  that,  before  the 
end  of  the  next  year,  Great  ]5ritain  had  gained  possession 
of  Havana  (the  key  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico),  Grenada,  Martin- 
iqtie,  St.  Lucia,  St.  Vincent,  and  the  Caribbee  Islands. 

The  rapid  progress  of  her  conquests,  which  threatened 
tli<5  remaining  possessions  of  France  and  Spain,  was  arrested, 
however,  by  the  exchange  of  preliminary  articles  of  jieace 
at  Fontaincbleau,  toward  the  close  of  the  year  1762.  On 
the  lOtli  of  the  ensuing  February,  1763,  a  definitive  treaty  of 
peace  was  signed  at  Paris,  and  it  was  soon  after  ratified  by 
the  respective  powers.  By  this  memorable  treaty,  France 
ceded  to  Great  Britain  all  the  conquests  made  hy  the  latter 
in  North  America  during  the  v/ar.  The  western  houndary 
of  the  British  possessions  was  fixed  to  run  along  the  mid- 
dle of  the  Mississippi  River,  from  its  source  down  to  the 
Iberville,  and  thein^e  along  the  center  of  that  river  or  l)ayou, 
and  througli  Lakes  Maurepas  and  I'ontchartrain  to  the 
Mexican  Gulf.  All  of  Louisiana  lying  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, together  with  the  district  of  New  Orleans  on  the 
eayt,  had  been  ceded  from  France  to  Spain  hy  a  ])rivate 
treaty,  executed  at  Fontaincbleau  on  November  3,  1762, 
which  was  permitted  to  stand.*     By  the  treaty  of  Paris, 


*iSee  Article  aeventh  of  the  Faria  treaty  iu  Chap.  XIX  of  this  work. 


340 


The  Seven  Years'  War. 


England  also  acquired  large  territorial  possessions  in  India 
and  elsewhere. 

Such  was  the  final  outcome  of  this  prolonged  and  san- 
guinary war,  whereby  the  great  power  of  the  French  mon- 
archy in  America  was  permanently  annihilated.  The  strug- 
gle was  computed  to  have  cost  the  Anglo-American  colonies 
tl.'irty  thousand  lives,  and  over  sixteen  millions  of  dollars, 
of  which  only  five  millions  were  ever  reimbursed  to  them  by 
the  government  of  Great  Britain,  Among  the  more  direct 
advantages  accruing  to  the  colonies  from  the  war,  was  a 
marked  increase  in  their  trade  and  population;  while  the 
indirect  benefits,  such  as  unity  and  concert  of  action  in 
emergency,  and  knowledge  and  experience  in  military 
science,  prepared  the  way  for  the  War  of  Inde})endence. 


Notice  ok  Montcalm. 

LouiH  Joseph,  Marquis  do  Moncalm-(iozon  de  .St.  V^raiii,  the  most 
celebrated  soldier  in  French-American  history,  was  born  at  the  chateau 
of  Candiar,  near  Nismes,  in  the  south  of  France,  on  the  2!)th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1712,  and  died  in  Quebec,  Canada,  September  14,  1759.  His  educa- 
tion was  directed  by  one  Dumas,  a  natural  son  of  his  grandfather,  and  at 
the  age  of  <^ourteen  he  entered  the  French  army  as  an  ensign,  in  the  regi- 
ment of  Hainanlt.  He  served  with  gallantry  and  distinction  in  Italy 
and  (lerniany,  and  was  promoted  from  one  position  to  another  until  he 
attained  the  rank  of  general.  In  the  Ki)ring  of  1756  he  was  ai)puinted  to 
succeed  the  Baron  Dieskau  in  command  of  the  French  forces  in  North 
America,  and  arrived  at  Quebec  about  the  middle  of  May.  liis  subse- 
quent eventful  career  is  v/ritten  in  the  history  of  that  war.  It  is  bi'lieved 
that  if  he  luui  received  timely  reinforcements  from  his  home  govern- 
ment, he  could  have  maintained  the  authority  of  France  in  Canada. 
General  Montcahn  is  described  as  ft  man  of  small  stature,  with  a  tine 
head,  a  vivacious  corntenance,  and  a  rapid,  imi>(>tuous  si)eech.  He  had 
a  nice  sense  of  horor  and  ardent  patriotism,  combined  with  the  tastes 
of  a  scholar,  and  a  love  ol  rural  pursuits.  He  possessed  true  military 
genius,  and  as  a  commander  stands  very  high,  though  not  in  the  highest 
rank.  His  last  years  were  embittered,  and  his  popularity  impaired,  by 
contentions  with  the  governor  of  Canada,  the  Marcp.is  de  Vaudreuil, 
who,  during  the  life  of  his  rival,  and  after  his  death,  lost  no  oi)j)ortunity 
of  traducing  him.  ( A ppleton's  Cyclop,  of  Amcr.  Hiog.,  vol.  iv.,  p.  :{*14.) 
Upon  the  final  overthrow  of  the  French  power  in  Canada,  the  friends  of 
the  dead  general  preferred  serious  charges  to  the  king  against  Governor 
Vaudreuil,  wlio  was  thereupon  summoned  to  appear  and  answer  them 


Wolfe  and  Montealm. 


341 


(lia 


n 


san- 
mon- 
itrug- 
lonies 
allars, 
em  by 
direct 
was  a 
lie  the 
iion  in 
military 
3iice. 


jie  chateau 

of  Febru- 

HiHcduca- 

her,  an<l  ^^ 

in  t\ie  regi- 

)u  in  Italy 

lir  untU  he 
Hiointefl  to 

H  in  North 
Ills  Buhse- 
is  bcheved 

|n\e  govern- 
in  ('anrttla. 
with  a  tine 
\i.     lie  had 
,h  the  tastes 
rue  military 
the  higliest 
[unpaired,  by 
',>  Vau<lreuil, 
opportunity 

|l.  iv.,  P-  ■^''■*-'> 
u'  friends  ol 
Inst  Governor 
answer  them 


in  France.  But,  after  a  full  investigation  of  the  acts  of  his  administra- 
tion by  a  competent  tribunal,  he  was  exonerated.  Having  lost  his  prop- 
erty, he  died  in  Paris,  October  20,  17(55. 

On  the  20th  of  November,  1827,  during  Lord  Dalhousie's  adminis- 
tration in  Canada,  when  the  animosities  and  race  prejudices,  engen- 
dered and  perpetuated  by  centuries  of  cruel  warfare,  had  been  in  a 
measure  obliterated,  the  corner-stone  of  a  monument  to  the  joint  mem- 
ory of  Montcalm  and  Wolfe  was  laid,  with  uiilitary  and  INIasonic  cere- 
monies, in  the  Palace  Garden,  formerly  attached  to  the  old  Castle  of 
St.  Louis,  in  the  Upper  Town  of  (Quebec.  This  appropriate  monument — 
built  of  gray  granite  in  the  form  of  an  obelisk — is  sixty-five  feet  high, 
and  bears  upon  its  pedestal  the  following  Latin  inscription  : 

Wolfe — Montcalm. 

Mortem  Virtm  Cominunem, 

Famam  JIUtarin, 

Monnmcntnrn  Posteritas. 

Dedit  A.  D.  1827. 

Which,  being  freely  rendered  into  P^nglish,  reads  thus:  "Military  vir- 
tue gave  them  a  common  death ;  History  a  conmion  fame ;  Posterity  a 
common  monument."* 


*,In  1832  Lord  Aylraar,  governor-general  of  (.'anada,  caused  to  be  erected  on  tlio 
Plains  of  Abraham,  at  the  spot  where  Wolfe  fell,  a  granite  monument  ten  feet  high. 
But  it  became  -o  broken  and  defaced  in  a  few  years  by  relic  hunters,  that  it  was  re- 
placed ill  1819  by  a  Doric  column,  inclosed  by  an  iron  fence.  This  beautiful  pillar 
was  erected  at  the  expense  of  the  Briti.sli  Army  in  Canada;  and  on  the  west  side  of 
its  pedestal,  as  on  the  former  monument,  iire  inscribed  the  words:  "Here  died 
Wolfe  Victorious,  Sept.  13,  1759." 


342 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


1700-1765. 


INDIAN    CONSPIRACY    AND    WAR   OF    PONTIAC. 


During  the  prolonged  and  bitter  struggle  between 
France  and  Great  Britain  for  supremacy  on  this  continent, 
as  hereinbefore  succinctly  narrated,  the  French  settlements 
in  Upper  and  Lower  Louisiana,  being  remote  from  the 
principal  theater  of  warfare,  were  but  slightly  affected  by 
its  various  fluctuations,  though  most  of  the  garrisons  in  this 
western  province  were  withdrawn,  from  time  to  time,  to 
participate  in  the  ensanguined  contest.  The  dread  of 
British  conquest  no  doubt  operated  to  dull  the  energies  and 
cloud  the  future  of  these  detached  colonists ;  yet  they  lived 
on  in  comparative  tranquillity  and  happiness,  no  scenes  of 
iar)ine  and  bloodshed  occurring  in  their  midst  to  disturb 
the  even  tenor  of  tneir  lives.  It  was  only  when  the  war 
between  the  two  rival  kingdoms  had  ceased,  and  after  the 
peace  of  Paris,  that  its  wide  reaching  results  were  brought 
directly  home  to  them. 

M.  Neyon  de  Villiers*  was  then  major-commandant 
of  the  Illinois,  and  the  Sieur  d'  Annville  was  king's  ad- 
vocate and  judge,  doing  duty  as  commissary.  Among  the 
few  records  extant  of  their  official  acts,  we  find  the  grant 
of  a  certain  tract  of  land,  for  use  as  a  stock  farm,  to  one 
Joseph  Labusciere,  who  had]made  written  application  there- 
for "at  New  Chartre,  the  22d  September,  1761."t 


*  I)e  v'illiers  had  boen  taken  prisoner  by  the  Englieli  at  Fort  Niagara, 
in  July,  1751),  but  was  afterward  t'xcliangcd  or  released. 

t  Appended  to  Labuseiere's  application  appears  the  following  official 
indorsement: 

"  In  consideration  of  the  above  deelarations  and  others  from  other 
quarters,  we  have  granted  and  do  grant  to  Joseph  Labusiere  the  land 
(called  la  bfUc  fontaijie)  situated  between  the  hills  and  Outard's  marsh, 


Major  Rogers  Occupies  Detroit. 


343 


etweeii 
itinent, 
lements 
om   the 
scted  by 
^g  in  tliis 

time,  to 
dread  of 
rgies  and 
-hey  lived 

sceneB  of 

0  disturb 

1  the  war 
after  the 
;  brought 

iimaudant 

cing'8  ad- 

nAong  the 

the  grant 

l-ni,  to  one 

tion  there- 


Mjrt  "Niagara, 

jwing  official 

L  from  other 
lerc  the  ia"*^^ 
turd's  marBii, 


We  now  proceed  to  recount  the  military  transactions  . 
that  took  place  in  the  West  after  the  capitulation  ot  Mon- 
treal.    On   the   12th    of  September,    1760,    Major   Robert 
Rogers,  a  gallant  colonial  officer  of  New  Hampshire,  re- 
ceived orders  from  General  Amherst  to  ascend  the  lakes 
with  a  strong  detachment  of  rangers,  and  take  possession, 
in  the  name  of  his  Britannic  majesty,  of  Detroit,  Mackinac 
and  other  western  posts  still  held  by  the  French.     While 
Rogers'  flotilla  was  on  its  way  up  Lake  Erie,  being  delayed 
by  stormy  weather,  he  dispatched  a  courier  in  advance  to 
inform  Captain  Belcstre,  the  French  commandant  at  De- 
troit, that  Canada  had  surrendered,  and  that  an   English 
force  was   on    its  way  to   relieve   him    of   his   command. 
Taking   umbrage   at   the   informality   of   the    notice,  and 
doubtless  wanting  a  pretext  for  delay,  Belestre  incited  the 
Indians  around  the  post  to  measures  of  resistance.     Ac- 
cordingly, when  Major  Rogers  reached  the  head  of  Lake 
Erie,  he   found  a  force   of  about   four   liundred  warriors 
ready  to  dispute  his   farther  progress.     But  through  the 
active  intervention  of  Pontiac,  or  Pondiac,  the  great  Ot- 
tawa chief  (with  whom  Rogers  had  recently  held  an  inter- 
view on  the  lake  shore),  he  and  his  men  were  allowed  to 
advance  unmolested  to   Detroit.     They  arrived  thither  in 
the  last  week  of  November,  and  on  the  29th  of  that  month, 
this  military  and  trading  post,  the  most  considerable  in  the 
central  lake  region,  passed  into  the  liands  of  the  English. 
The  French  garrison,  comi)Osed  of  three  officers  and  tliirty 
privates,  quietly  laid  down  their  arms,  to  the  astonishment 
of  the   Indians  preser.t,  and  were  sent  prisoners  of  war  to 
Montreal.     The  Canadian  residents  of  the  district  were  left 
in  the  undisturbed  possession  of  their  houses  and  lands,  but 


prayi'd  for  by  him,  according  us  it  is  explaincMl  and  described  in  the 
present  petition,  on  condition  that  the  said  land  sliall  he  Hui)ject  to  the 
puhlie  cliar^eB,  and  that  it  shall  he  pnt  to  profit  or  hiiilt  upon  in  the 
course  of  the  year  heginninji  from  this  day,  under  the  penalty  of  being 
again  reunited  to  the  king's  domain. 

'•Given  at  Fort  Charte,  this  fourth  day  of  January,  1702. 

(Signed),  "  Noyon  I)bvillirr8. 

"  D'ANNVIIil.K." 


344 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


were  required  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  British 
crown. 

As  heretofore  remarked,  the  first  permanent  military 
settlement  of  Detroit  was  made  by  Antoine  la  Mothe  Cadil- 
lac, in  July,  1701.  He  had  previously  been  in  command  of 
the  post  at  Mackinac,  and  in  his  voyages  up  and  down  the 
lakes  had  observed  the  strategic  value  of  the  place,  com- 
manding the  [)assage  between  Lakes  Erie  and  St.  Clair. 
Returning  to  France  in  1699,  he  laid  the  matter  before 
Count  Pontchartrain,  miniate  for  the  Colonies,  who  author- 
ized him  to  erect  a  fort  on  the  strait.  It  was  built  on  the 
plain  adjoining  the  western  brink  of  the  river,  and  at  or 
near  the  site  of  the  oUler  fortlet  of  St.  Joseph,  erected  by 
Du  L'hut  in  1686.  It  was  named  by  Cadillac,  Fort  Pont- 
chartrain, but  it  early  assumed  the  name  of  Detroit,  which, 
in  French,  means  a  strait.  From  that  time  until  the  close 
of  the  Anglo-American  war  of  1812-14,  the  history  of  this 
post  is  one  of  marked  vicissitudes — of  sieges,  captures,  bat- 
tles, and  bloodshed.  As  the  fort  slowly  grew  into  a  village, 
with  a  fixed  population,  it  was  inclosed  with  a  quadrangular, 
wooden  stockade,  having  two  gates  as  the  only  entrances. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  English  possession,  the  French- 
Canadian  population  of  Detroit,  including  their  settlements 
along  the  river,  was  estimated  as  high  as  twenty-five  hun- 
dred persons,  but  the  number  soon  diminished.  The  fort, 
then  endjracing  the  entire  town,  is  described  as  a  stout  pali- 
sade, twenty-five  feet  in  height,  furnished  with  bastions  at 
the  four  angles,  and  block-houses  over  the  two  gateways. 
A  short  distance  below  the  fort,  on  the  same  side  of  the 
strait,  stood  a  village  of  the  Pottawatomies.  To  the  south- 
east, on  the  opposite  bank,  was  that  of  the  Wyandots,  and 
live  miles  above  the  latter,  on  the  same  bank,  lay  the  vil- 
lage of  the  Ottawas.  The  river,  half  a  mile  in  width,  ran 
through  a  landscape  of  singular  beauty,  and  in  its  pellucid 
waters  were  mirrored  the  outlines  of  the  stately  forest  trees 
that  stood  on  either  l)ank.  Back  from  the  full-flowing 
stream  rose  the  whitewashed  cottages  of  the  settlers,  while 
in  the  distance  were  clustered  the  Indian  wigwams,  from 
which  curling  (iolumns  of  smoke  rose  high  into  the  pure 


French  Intrigues  Among  the  Indians. 


345 


iWtary 
Cadil- 

antl  of 
vvu  the 
i,  coni- 
.  Clair, 
before 
autlior- 
•  on  the 
id  at  or 
jctcd  by 
rt  Pont- 
t,  which, 
the  close 
ry  of  thirt 
,ure8,  biit- 
a  village, 
vungular, 
ntrances. 
Q  If  reuch- 
jttlemeuts 


northern  atmosphere.  At  the  Isle  a  la  Peche^  near  the  out- 
let of  Lake  St.  Chiir,  dwelt  Pontiac,  "  the  master  spirit  of 
this  sylvan  paradise,  who,  like  Satan  of  old,  revolved  in  his 
powerful  mind  schemes  for  marring  its  beauty  and  inno- 
cence." Here,  according  to  Rogers'  journal,  he  lived  with 
his  squaws  and  children,  and  here,  no  doubt,  he  might  have 
been  often  seen  reclining  on  a  rush  mat,  like  any  ordinary 
warrior. 

Directly  after  the  British  occupation  of  Detroit,  Major 
Rogers  sent  officers  to  take  possession  of  Forts  Miami  on 
the  Maumee,  and  Ouatanon  on  the  Wabash.  The  major 
himself  started  to  relieve  the  French  posts  on  the  upper 
lakes,  but  was  prevented  from  carrying  out  his  purpose  by 
the  early  approach  of  winter.  During  the  ensuing  spring 
of  1761,  however,  the  forts  on  the  Straits  of  Mackinac  and 
St.  Mary,  at  the  head  of  Green  Bay,  and  on  the  river  St. 
Joseph,  were  all  garriso  led  by  small  detachments  of  British 
troops.  But  the  flag  of  France  still  waved  over  the  posts 
in  Illinois  and  Louisiana,  which  had  not  been  included  in 
the  stipulations  of  the  surrender  at  Montreal. 

The  English  were  now  in  military  possession  of  the 
whole  of  Canada;  yet  the  task  of  maintaining  their  author- 
ity in  this  vast  region  was  found  to  be  one  of  no  small  dif- 
ficulty, because  of  the  general  dissatisfaction  with  the  change 
of  rulers  pervading  its  inhabitants.  The  French  settlers, 
who  formed  the  ruling  element,  having  their  national  hatred 
intensified  by  years  of  warfare,  were  irreconcilable,  and  many 
of  the  more  discontented  left  their  Canadian  homes  and  re- 
moved to  Illinois  and  Louisiana,  which  still  belonged  to 
France.  Here  they  continued  to  clierish  their  animosity 
and  foment  resistance,  still  hoping  that  Canada  might  bo 
again  restored  to  France.  Illinois  thus  became  a  place  of 
refuge  and  a  center  of  French  intris^ues  aijrainst  the  British 
rule.  Canadian  traders  and  refugees  went  every-where 
among  the  north-western  tribes,  wliose  good  will  they  had 
long  before  secured  by  a  conciliatory  [>olicy,  and  incited 
them  to  take  up  arms  against  the  English,  who,  it  was  de- 
clared, were  seeking  to  compass  their  destruction  by  hedg- 
ing them  round  with  forts  and  settlements,  and  by  stirring 


^^iiST^JTSTTTTTT^IT^TT: 


346 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


up  the  Cherokees  and  Chickasaws  to  attack  them.  To  give 
the  greater  efficacy  to  their  arguments,  the  French  traders 
liberally  distributed  among  the  Indian  chiefs  guns  and  am- 
munition, which  the  English  refused  to  do,  and  otherwise 
treated  them  as  inferiors.  It  should  be  observed  that  fire- 
arms, blankets,  and  other  articles  of  European  fabric  had 
been  so  long  supplied  by  the  French  to  the  western  Indians, 
that  tliey  were  now  become  a  necessity  to  the  existence  of 
the  latter. 

[Inder  these  altered  circumstances,  Pontiac,  who  still 
hated  the  British,  although  he  had  interfered  on  their  side 
so  far  as  to  permit  Major  Rogers  to  take  peaceable  posses- 
sion of  Detroit,  soon  began  to  show  his  old  partiality  for  the 
FrencVi.  He  was  now  some  fifty  years  of  age,  and  in  the 
full  prime  of  his  powers.  Pontia<.'  was  born  on  the  Ottawa 
River  about  the  year  1712,  and  was,  it  is  said,  the  son  of  an 
Ojibwa  or  Chippewa  woman.  It  has  V)een  claimed  that  he 
was  of  Sac  lineage,  but  he  belonged,  by  adoption  at  least, 
to  the  Ottawa  tribe.*  As  the  Ottawas  were  in  alliance  with 
the  Ojibwas  and  Pottawatomies,  he  became  in  time  the  prin- 
cipal chief  of  the  three  tribes.  In  1746  he  defended  tlie 
chief  post  of  Detroit  from  an  attack  of  some  discontented 
tribes  of  the  north,  and  in  1755  he  appears  to  have  com- 
manded a  band  of  Ottawa  warriors  at  General  Braddock's 
defeat.  During  the  war  between  France  and  England  he 
I'ought  valiantly  on  the  side  of  the  former,  and  for  his 
courage  and  devotion  was  presented  with  a  full  French 
uniform  by  the  Marquis  de  Montcalm,  only  a  short  time  be- 
fore the  fall  of  Quebec. 

After  the  final  defeat  of  the  French  and  the  surrender 
of  Canada,  Pontiac  at  first  manifested  a  disposition  to  cul- 
tivate the  friendship  of  the  conquerors,  but  was  disappointed 


*  Reynolds  says,  in  his  "  Pioneer  History,"  that  Pontiac  had  French 
blood  in  his  veins;  and  his  alleged  light  complexion  and  strong  bias 
toward  the  French  lend  credence  to  the  assertion.  The  traditional  de- 
Bcriptions  of  this  Indian  chief  vary  in  regard  to  his  features  and  the 
color  of  his  skin,  but  all  concur  in  depicting  him  ay  a  savage  of  sym- 
metrical and  noble  form,  of  proud  and  haughty  demeanor,  and  of  com- 
manding address. 


Planning  of  the  Conspiracy. 


347 


D  give 
radere 
d  am- 
erwise 
it  fire- 
ic  liad 
iidians, 
ance  of 

ho  still 
leir  side 

posses- 
y  for  the 
d  in  the 
3  Ottawa 
iou  01  an 
1  that  he 
I  at  least, 
auce  with 

the  priu- 
;nded  the 
[contented 

ave  eom- 
raddock's 

iigUmd  lie 
,(1  for  his 
ill  "French 
t  time  he- 
surrender 

ion  to  cul- 
Isappointed 

L  Viae!  French 
h  strong  bias 
|ra(iitiona\  de- 
lures  and  the 
Ivage  of  syni- 
\,  and  of  coui- 


in  the  advantages  he  expected  to  derive  from  their  favor. 
In  the  now  changed  state  of  affairs,  his  sagacious  mind  dis- 
cerned the  danger  which  threatened  liis  race.  The  equi- 
libriiini  that  had  liitherto  subsisted  between  the  French 
and  English  gave  the  Indians  the  balance  of  power,  and 
both  parties  were  compelled  to  respect  their  rights  to  some 
extent.  But,  under  British  domination,  their  importance 
as  allies  was  gone,  and  their  doom  sealed,  unless  they  could 
restore  the  power  of  the  French  and  use  it  to  cheek  the  en- 
croachments of  the  English.  Inspired  with  this  idea,  as 
well  as  by  ambition  and  patriotism,  he  sent  trusty  mes- 
sengers to  the  nations  of  the  upper  lakes,  to  those  on  the 
Illinois,  the  Mississippi,  and  Ohio,  and  southward  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  In  the  autumn  of  1762  his  emissaries, 
bearing  the  red-stained  hatchet  and  war-belt  as  symbols  of 
their  mission,  passed  quickly  from  tribe  to  tribe,  and  every- 
where the  dusky  denizens  of  the  forest  assembled,  eager  to 
hear  the  fiery  message,  which  had  been  prepared  l)y  the 
leader  for  the  occasion.  The  attending  chiefs  and  warriors, 
moved  by  these  stirring  appeals,  pledged  themselves  to 
unite  in  the  league  and  war  against  the  common  enemy  of 
their  race.* 

Thus,  by  his  own  superior  energy,  activity,  and  ad- 
dress, Pontiac  became  the  acknowledged  iiead  and  front  of 
the  most  extensive  confederation  of  Algonquin  nations  ever 
before  known  in  Indian  history.  lie  not  only  conceived 
the  great  scheme  of  uniting  all  these  nations  in  a  league  or 
conspirac}'  against  the  English  colonists,  but  of  simulta- 
neously attacking  all  the  accessible  forts  of  the  latter,  and, 
after  butchering  their  garrisons,  to  turn  upon  the  defense- 
less settlements  and  continue  the  death-dealing  work  until 
the  entire  English  population  should  be  extermiiuited,  or 
driven  into  the  sea.  The  conspiracy  was  planned  or  ma- 
tured at  a  council  of  the  Ottawas,  Pottawatomies,  Chippe- 
was,  and  Hurons,  held  near  Detroit  about  April  27,  1763, 
when  Pontiac  nuide  a  speech  recounting  the  wrongs  and 
indignities   that   had   been  suffered   by   the   Indians,  and 

*See  Davidson  &  Stuve's  Hist,  of  111.,  pp.  140,  141. 


348 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


II' 


prophesied  their  extermination.  The  plot  was  well  laid, 
and  it  was  more  successfully  executed  than  might  have 
been  expected,  considering  the  limited  resources  of  the  na- 
tives, and  the  rankling  jealousies  and  enmities  that  pre- 
vailed among  the  ditierent  trihes. 

Prior  to  this,  on  February  10,  1763,  was  signed  the 
treaty  of  Paris,  by  which  all  the  territorial  possessions  of 
France  east  of  the  Mississipi  were  ceded  to  Great  Britain. 
During  the  following  spring,  in  pursuance  of  this  act  of 
cession,  all  tho  French  posts  iji  Southern  Louisiana,  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi,  but  not  including  the 
district  of  New  Orleans,  were  occupied  by  English  gar- 
risons. The  immediate  occupation  of  Illinois,  however, 
was  not  deemed  practicable,  owing  to  the  strong  barrier  of 
hostile  Indians  surrounding  the  forts  there,  and  the  French 
officers  then  in  command  were  therefore  authorized  by  Sir 
Jeffrey  Amherst,  the  British  commander-in-chief,  to  retain 
their  posts  until  formally  relieved.  In  the  exercise  of  this 
trust  they  seem  to  have  been  guilty  of  a  breach  of  faith, 
both  in  furnishing  the  Indians  with  arms  and  supplies,  and 
in  concealing  from  ti  m  the  transfer  of  the  country  to  the 
English.*  But  for  this  misplaced  confidence,  or  want  of 
soldierly  foresight  on  the  part  of  General  Amherst,  the  war 
that  ensued  might  have  been  abbreviated,  and  thus  divested 
of  some  of  its  barbarities. 

According  to  the  plan  concerted  by  Pontiac  and  his 
council  of  war,  the  last  of  May  (1763)  was  designated  as 
the  time  for  the  general  uprising,  when  each  tribe  was  to 


*  "  It  now  appears  from  the  best  autliorities  (says  a  Report  of  Sir 
William  Johnson,  Superintendent  of  Indian  Allairs,  to  the  Board  of 
Trade,  Deceaibc^r  26, 1764),  and  can  be  proved  by  the  oaths  of  several  re- 
spectable persons,  prisoners  among  the  Indians  of  Illinois,  and  from  the 
accounts  of  the  Indians  themselves,  that  not  only  many  ]■  rench  traders, 
but  also  French  officers,  went  among  the  Indians,  as  tlicy  said,  fully 
authorized  to  assure  them  that  the  Fren(4i  king  was  determined  to  sup- 
port them  to  the  utmost,  and  not  only  invited  them  to  visit  the  Illinois, 
where  they  were  plentifully  supplieil  with  ammunition  and  other  neces- 
saries, but  also  sent  Heveral  canoe  loads  at  diflerent  times  up  the  Illi- 
nois River  to  the  Miamis,  as  well  as  up  the  Ohio  to  the  Shawanese  and 
Delawares." 


Pontiac's  Siege  of  Detroit. 


349 


ll  laid, 
t  have 
the  ua- 
at  pre- 

[led  tlie 
sioiis  of 
Britain. 
8  act  of 
iana,  on 
iing   the 
UbU  gar- 
how  ever, 
barrier  of 
le  French 
ed  by  Sir 
,  to  retain 
iae  of  this 
1  of  faith, 
)plie8,  and 
itry  to  the 
r  want  ot 
t,  the  war 
divested 

Uc  and  his 
igiiated  as 
ibe  was  to 

ieport  of  Sir 
T,he  Board  o£ 
\oi  several  re- 
l\iul  from  the 
I'lich  traders, 
j.y  said,  fiiiiy 
[uned  to  sup- 
the  Illinois, 
I  other  neces- 
,  up  the  lUi- 
Lwanese  and 


attack  the  garrison  of  the  nearest  Englisii  ibrt,  and  the  se- 
cret wan  80  closely  ke[»t  that  two-thirds  of  the  i)08t8  at- 
tacked were  cafttured.  cither  by  surprise  or  stratagem. 
The  taking  of  Detroit  was  to  be  tlie  preliminary  task  of 
Pontiac  himself,  and  the  date  of  its  <'xecutiou  was  set  for 
the  7th  of  May.  He  accordingly  attempted,  with  a  band 
of  trained  warriors,  to  seize  that  post,  but  was  foiled  in  his 
design  by  the  vigilance  )f  Major  Henry  Gladwin,  the  Eng- 
lish commandant,  who  liad  received  information  of  the 
plot  the  da}-  bifore,  from  a  young  Chippewa  woman,  who 
had  formed  an  attachment  for  him  and  wished  to  save  his 
life.* 

The  assault  u[»on  Detroit  was  renewed  by  Pontiac, 
with  an  augmented  force,  (mi  the  12th  of  May,  but,  failing 
in  this,  he  turned  it  into  an  irregnlai-  siege.  The  garrison, 
meantime,  obtained  food  from  the  neighboring  Canadian 
settlers,  who  likewise  supplied  the  Indians  in  turn.  In  con- 
sequence of  the  largely  increased  number  of  his  followers, 
Pontiac  found  it  necessary  to  make  regular  levies  on  the 
French  farmers  for  provisions,  and  in  lieu  of  other  com- 
pensation, lie  gave  them  his  promissory  notes,  scrawled  on 
pieces  of  birch  bark  and  signed  with  the  jfigure  of  an  otter, 
the  totem  of  his  family.  This  imitation  of  the  practices  of 
civilized  men  might  have  been  suggested  to  him  by  some 
of  the  farmers  themselves,  yet  it  is  related  to  his  credit  that 
all  of  these  notes  were  afterward  paid. 

Supplies  and  reinforcements  were  sent  to  the  belea- 
guered fort  in  small  schooners,  by  way  of  Lake  Erie;  but 
these  were  mostly  cajttured  ])y  the  Indians,  who  compelled 
their  i>risoners  to  row  them  to  Detroit  in  hopy  of  surpris- 
ing the  garrison.  At  length,  however,  the  garrison  was  re- 
inforced, and  thereupon  took  the  offensive.  On  the  Slst 
of  July  the  English  attacked  Pontiac  at  liis  camp  near  the 
mouth  of  a  little  stream  known  as  Bloody  Run  ;  but  in  this 
etigagement  the  assailants  were  defeated,  and  retreated  to 


*  It  may  be  hoped  that  no  iconoclast  will  arisf,  hh  in  the  case  of  Po- 
cahontas,  to  demolish  this  traditional  story  of  the  devoted  Chippewa 
maiden. 


350 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


the  fort  witli  a  loss  of  fifty-nine  men  in  killed  and  wounded. 
The  siege  of  Detroit  was  maintained  in  a  desultory  manner 
until  about  the  10th  of  October,  when  the  ammunition  of 
the  natives  fell  short,  and  they  became  discouraged. 

Although  failing  in  all  their  eftbrts  to  capture  this 
coveted  post,  the  Indians  were  more  successful  elsewhere. 
It  is  true  tliat  Forts  Pitt  and  Niagara,  which  they  also  at- 
tacked, proved  too  strong  for  their  destruction ;  but  be- 
tween the  first  and  twentieth  of  Jtme,  they  took  Fort  Ve- 
nango, LeBcBuf,  Presque  Isle,  Sandusky,  Miami  (on  the 
Maumee),  St.  Joseph,*  Mackinac  .md  LeBaye,t  and  either 
murdered  or  made  prisoners  of  their  respective  garrisons, 
only  a  few  eii'ecting  their  escape.  The  destruction  of  life 
and  property  at  these  widely  separated  posts  was  but  the 
prelude  to  a  general  Indian  war,  which  carried  terror  and 
desolation  into  many  of  the  fairest  and  most  fertile  valleys 
of  Virginia,  Pennsylvania  and  New  York. 

General  Amherst  had  now  become  aware  that  the  oc- 
cupation of  the  Illinois  forts  by  French  garrisons  was  con- 
ti'ibuting  to  prolong  and  intensify  the  contest,  and  he  would 
gladly  have  displaced  them  at  once,  but  still  found  it  im- 
pructicable  to  broak  througli  the  cordon  of  hostile  tribes 
by  which  they  were  environed.  Ilis  only  expedient,  there- 
foi'e,  was  to  write  to  Neyon  de  Villi ers  at  Fort  Chartres, 
instructing  him  to  make  known  to  the  Indian  chiefs  and 
warriors  their  altered  relations  under  the  treaty  of  cession. 
That  French  officer,  being  thus  compelled  to  divulge  what 
he  had  long  concealed,  reluctantly  wrote  to  Pontiac,  saying, 
^'  that  he  must  not  expect  any  assistance  from  the  French  ; 
that  they  and  the  English  were  now  at  peace  and  regarded 
each  other  as  brothers,  and  that  the  Indians  should  aban- 
don their  hostilities,  which  could  lead  to  no  good  result."^ 


*0n  Lake  Michigan,  formerly  called  Ft.  Miami. 

t  At  the  head  of  Green  Bay. 

t  At  or  before  that  time  DeVilliers  wrote  to  D'Abbadie,  at  New  Or- 
leans, that  it  was  the  fault  of  the  English  if  the  Indians  manifested 
such  enmity  to  them.  "  Tlie  English,"  said  he,  "  as  soon  as  they  be- 
came aware  of  the  advantages  secured  to»them  by  the  treaty  of  cession, 
kept  no  measures  with  the  Indians,  whom  they  treated  with  harshness 


Expeditions  of  Colonels  Bouquet  and  Bradstreet.      351 


unded. 
manner 
ition  of 

ire  this 
56  where. 

also  at- 

but  be- 
Fort  Ve- 

(on  the 
:id  either 
3-arrisonfl, 
Iw  of  life 
8  but  the 
terror  and 
ile  valleys 

iiut  the  oc- 
is  was  con- 
rl  he  would 
and  it  im- 
itile  tribes 
ent,  there- 
t  Chartres, 
chiefs  and 
of  cession, 
vulge  what 
iac,  saying, 
le  T'rench; 
(1  regarded 
ould  aban- 
)d  result."! 


L,  at  New  Gr- 
ins manifested 
sn  as  they  be- 
laty  of  cessiou, 
Tith  harshnesa 


This  letter  was  a  grievous  disappointment  to  Pontiac,  who 
relied  for  ultimate  success  upon  the  continued  support  of 
the  French,  and  it  proved  the  entering  wedge  toward  the 
breaking  up  of  his  prodigious  power  and  influence.  Shortly 
after  its  reception,  he  departed  from  Detroit,  with  a  num- 
ber of  his  followers,  and  went  southward  to  the  country  of 
the  Mauinec,  intending  to  return  and  renew  the  contest  the 
next  spring. 

The  winter  of  1768-4  passed  without  any  very  note- 
worthy occurrence.  In  the  early  summei"  of  1764,  the  En- 
glish authorities  fitted  out  two  considerable  expeditions;  one 
to  operate  against  the  savages  in  the  central  lake  region,  and 
the  other  for  the  punishment  of  those  in  the  Valley  of  the 
Ohio.  The  command  of  the  latter  column  was  entrusted  to 
Colonel  (afterward  General)  Henry  Bouquet,  who  marched 
from  Fort  Pitt,  and,  encountering  the  warlike  Delawares 
and  Shawnees  on  the  banks  of  the  Muskingham,  soon  de- 
feated and  reduced  them  to  submission.  This  efficient  of- 
licer  required  these  Indians  to  surrender  all  of  their  white 
prisoners.  In  compliance  with  his  demand,  they  reluctantly 
brought  into  camp  a  large  number,  principally  women  and' 
children,  some  of  whom  had  been  captured  during  the  early 
part  of  the  French  war,  and  had  been  in  captivity  so  long 
as  to  have  almost  forgotten  their  native  tongue  and  the 
homes  of  their  childhood  or  youth. 

Colonel  Bradstreet,  who  commanded  the  other  expe- 
dition, proceeding  up  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Erie, 
wrested  Sandusky  from  the  hands  of  the  hostile  Indians 
and  reinforced  Detroit.  He  then  sent  Captain  Thomas 
Morris,  with  some  Canadians  and  friendly  Indians,  to  in- 
duce the  Illinois  and  their  allies  to  make  peace  with  the 
English.  The  captain  and  his  party  ascended  the  Maumee 
River  to  the  vicinity  of  Pontiac's  camp,  and  thence  went  as 
far  as  Fort  Miami,  which  had  been  captured  by  the  Indians 
in  the  preceding  year.  But,  after  experiencing  great  han'- 
ships,  and  being  subjected  to  gross  indignities  by  the  Miamia 

and  the  haughtiness  of  masters,  and  whose  faults  they  punished  by 
crucifixion,  hanging,  and  every  sort  of  torment."— Gayarre'a  Hist,  of 
La.,  Vol.  II.,  p.  98. 


4- 


362 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


and  Kickapoos,  Morris  was  glad  to  escape  from  their  grasp 
with  his  life,  and  returned  to  Detroit  without  having  ef- 
fected the  olnject  of  his  perilous  journey.* 

Previously  to  this,  in  the  early  part  of  February,  1764, 
Major  Arthur  Tjoftus,then  doing  duty  with  the  22d  regiment 
at  Pensacola,  Florida,!  was  ordered  to  proceed  lo  the  Illinois 
and  take  military  possession  of  the  posts  there.  He  accord- 
ingly sailed  from  Pensacola  with  four  hundred  men  for  that 
purpose,  hut  on  his  arrival  in  New  Orleans  some  of  them  de- 
serted liim.  On  the  27th  of  February  he  re-embarked  his 
troops,  with  thirty-seven  women  and  children,  in  ten  heavy 
boats  and  two  jjirogues,  and  started  up  the  Mississippi,  vVd- 
vancing  slowly,  he  reached  Davion's  Bluff,  near  Tunica 
Bend,  on  the  19th  of  March,  when  lie  was  fired  upon  by  a 
party  of  Tunica  Indians,  who  had  ambushed  both  sides  of  the 
river.  Thcv  killed  six  and  wounded  seven  of  the  EneTish 
soldiers,  and  thus  stayed  the  farther  progress  of  the  expe- 
dition. The  suspicion  was  strong  among  the  English  that 
the  French,  at  Pointe  Coupee,  had  aided  the  Tunicas  with 
their  slaves  in  this  murdert)us  attack.  Keturnina:  to  New 
Orleans  in  a  rage.  Major  I  oftus  accused  Governor  D'Abbadie 
of  complicity  with  the  Indians;  but  it  does  not  appear  that 
tlie  governor  was  in  any  way  responsible  foi-  the  unfortunate 
occurrence.  On  the  contrary,  he  had  furnished  the  Pritish 
ofUcer  with  an  interpreter,  and  bad  sent  orders  to  the  com- 
mandants of  the  French  posts  on  the  river  to  afford  him 
needed  aid  and  protection,  and,  in  fine,  had  done  all  in  his 
power  to  insure  the  success  of  his  expedition.  The  truth 
is,  that  ijoftus  himself  was  partly  to  blrune  for  his  failure, 
since  be  took  little  pains  to  conciliate  either  the  French  or 
Indians.! 

Soon  after  tids  abortive  effort  to  reach  Fort  Chartres, 


*In  a  letter  wiitti'ii  during  thw  adventurous  trip,  dated  I^a  Prairie 
deH  MascoutiiiH,  Sopteniber  2,  17(14,  and  addresned  to  Colonel  BradHlreet 
at  Detroit,  Caiitain  Morris  sujj:j?e8tiv('ly  fluyn:  "  I  am  certain,  sir.  that  a 
few  j)reMentH  to  the  ehufs  would  l»i've  a  good  efleet.  Kind  treatment 
will  infallibly  open  a  way  to  the  lllinoiH  <!ountry." 

t  In  the  treaty  of  Paris,  Florida  had  been  given  by  Spain  to  Eng- 
lane  in  exehang*'  for  Havana. 

I  See  CiuyerrdV  History  of  Louibiana,  Vol.  II.,  pp.  102,  lOo. 


Croghan's  Mission  of  Conciliation. 


353 


grasp 
.ng  ef- 

r,  1764, 
giment 
iWiuois 
accorcl- 
for  tbat 
hem  de- 
•ked  Ills 
,11  heavy 
pi.    Ad- 

pon  by  '^ 

ies  of  the 

>  English 

[he  expe- 

gli-h  that 

licas  witVi 

g  to  l^ew 

VAbbadie 
)pcar  that 
fortunate 
le  lirifiBh 
the  c'om- 
ttord  liini 
all  in  his 
rUc  trutb 
ift  failure, 

^French  or 

cniartros, 

la  La  Prairie 

\  BriiilRtreet, 
\\,  sir.  Uvat  a 
y\  tri'atinont 

ain  to  Eng- 

IV.',. 


Captain  Pittman  started  from  Mobile  to  make  a  second  at- 
tempt, but  on  his  arrival  in  New  Orleans  he  was  deterred 
from  proceeding  farther,  owing  to  the  excited  state  of  feel- 
ing among  the  Indians  along  the  Mississippi.  During  the 
ensuing  summer.  Major  Robert  Farmer  was  dispatched 
from  Mobile,  with  a  part  of  the  34tli  regiment  of  foot, 
upon  the  same  mission,  yet  he  did  not  advance  far  before 
he  was  stopped  by  the  hostile  savages.  It  was  not,  indeed, 
until  the  first  week  in  December,  1765,  and  after  the  final 
surrender  of  Fort  Chartres,  that  he  arrived  with  his  force  in 
the  Illinois. 

8uch  was  the  continued  great  influence  of  Pontiac,and 
such  the  strength  of  the  combination  he  had  formed  among 
the  aboriginal  tribes  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  that  General 
Gage  (who  had  succeeded  Sir  .Tett'rey  Amherst  as  com- 
mander-in-chief of  his  Britannic  Majesty's  forces  in  North 
America)  now  became  convinced  that  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  eradicate  from  the  minds  of  the  Indians  the  idea 
of  French  assistance,  so  long  as  the  forts  in  Illinois  re- 
mained in  tlie  hands  of  French  officers.  He  therefore  un- 
dertook to  put  a  })eriod  to  this  tedious  and  humiliating  war, 
hy  removing  the  principal  cause  of  its  continuance.  After 
the  faikire  of  tiie  attempts  of  Majors  Loftus  and  Farmer,  it 
was  determined  to  send  troops  to  the  Illinois  b\'  vay  of  the 
Ghio  River.  To  facilitate  this  design,  0-^'-.  el  George  Cro- 
ghan,  a  deputy  of  the  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and 
an  experienced  trader  among  the  western  Indians,  together 
with  Lieutenant  Alexander  Fraser,  of  the  Finglinh  army, 
were  sent  out  in  advance,  to  [)repare  the  savagi's  by  ne- 
gotiation for  the  advent  of  the  projected  military  expedi- 
tion. They  started  from  I'hiliuleljihia  in  February,  1765, 
attended  by  a  snndl  mounted  escort,  and  carried  with  them 
an  ample  assortment  of  goods  for  use  as  presents  in  con- 
ciliating the  natives.  After  a  difficult  and  fatiguing  jour- 
ney over  the  mountains,  obstructed  with  snow  and  ice,  they 
reached  Fort  Pitt  (now  IMttsburg)  in  Marcli,  but  had  the 
ill-luck  to  loose  the  larger  part  of  their  goods  at*  the  hands 
of  the  "freebooting  borderers""  of  Pennsylvania,  Golonel 
28 


354 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


Oogliau  tarried  at  Fort  Pitt  a  tiuiuVjer  of  weeks,  in  order  to 
complete  his  preparations,  and  to  confer  witli  the  sachems 
of  the  Uelawares  and  Shawnees,  along  whose  southern 
borders  the  armed  expedition  would  have  to  pass. 

Meanwhile,  to  expedite  the  main  business  of  the  mis- 
sion, Lieutenant  Fraser,  with  raore  boldness  than  discretion, 
pn)barked  in  a  canoe,  with  a  t.ader  named  Sinnott,  and  de- 
scended the  Ohio  and  ascended  th  >  Mississip})i  to  Kaskaskia. 
Arrived  thither  in  the  forepart  of  May,  he  experienced  very 
rough  treatment  from  the  Illinois  Indians.  He  was  buft'eted 
and  his  life  threatened,  and  finding  his  position  neither 
agreeable  nor  safe,  he  fled  in  disguise  down  the  Mississippi 
River  to  New  Orleans. 

Pontiac  was  then  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort 
('hartres,  whither  ho  had  come  some  time  before,  with  a 
train  of  four  hundred  warriors,  to  deniand  arms  and  am- 
munition of  the  Frc  ich  for  the  further  prosecution  of  hi.s 
war  against  the  English.  About  the  IStli  of  April,  on  be- 
ing received  into  the  fortress  and  presented  to  St.  Ange, 
the  (H)mma  idant,  he  addresNcd  hiu)  in  the  following  ele- 
vated strain  : 

'"  Father,  we  have  long  desired  to  see  you  and  enjoy 
the  pleasure  of  taking  you  by  the  hand.  While  we  refresh 
ourselves  with  the  sooihiiig  incense  of  the  friendly  calumet, 
we  will  recall  the  battles  fought  by  *mv  warriors  against  the 
enemy,  which  still  seeks  our  overthrow.  But  while  we 
sj)eak  of  their  valor  and  victories,  let  us  nor  forget  our 
fallen  heroes,  and  w'th  rene\\ed  resolves  and  more  constant 
endeavors,  strive  to  avenge  their  deaths  by  the  downfall  of 
our  enemies. 

"  Father,  I  love  the  French,  and  have  led  hither  my 
braves  to  maintain  your  authority  and  vindicate  tlie  in- 
sulted honor  of  France.  IJut  you  must  not  longer  remain 
inactive,  and  suffer  your  red  brothers  to  contend  alone 
against  the  foe  who  seek  our  (ommon  destruction.  We 
demand  oi"  you  arms  an<i  warriors  to  assist  lis.  and  when 
the  KngliHh  dogi*  pre  driven  into  the  sea,  we  will  again  in 
p«ace  aiid  happinesH  onjoy  with  you  these  fruitful  forests 


Croghan\^  Party  Attacked  by  Indians. 


866 


•der  to 
,cht'ius 
utbern 

le  mis- 
[iretion, 
and  de- 
;kaakia. 

jcd  very 

buffeted 

neither 

IBBlPBippi 

of  Fort 
e,  with  a 
and  am- 
on  of  hirt 
ril,  on  be- 
st. Ange, 
.winir  e\e- 

aivd  enjoy 
we  refresli 
y  i-alumet , 
((rainst  tVu' 
while  we 
forget  onr 
|i'o  constant 
ilownfall  of 

hither  my 
|,te  the  in- 
Lrcr  remain 

t,end  aloi\o 
Ltion.  W*' 
1  and  when 

lill  agaii»  in 

\\\U\\  t'orerttrt 


and   prairies,  the   noblo   heritage  preseatcd   by  the   (ireat 
Spirit  to  our  ancestors." 

St.  Ange  was  constrained  by  circumstances  to  decline 
giving  the  expected  aid ;  but  be  accompanied  bis  refusal 
with  soothing  couipHments,  aud  added  a  few  gifts  to  ap- 
pease Pontiac's  bitter  disap])ointment. 

But  to  return  to  Colonel  Croghan.  On  the  15th  of 
May,  1705,  having  coin[)letcd  bis  conferences  with  the  tribes 
about  Fort  Pitt,  he  started  down  the  Ohio  with  two  bateaux, 
or  long  boats,  and  a  snuill  party  of  white  men.  Early  the 
next  day  he  was  joined  at  Chartier's  Island  by  several  depu- 
ties of  the  Senecas,  Shawnees,  aud  Delawares,  whom  he  liad 
persuaded  to  accompany  him.  Proceeding  oti  his  way,  with 
occasional  short  stop[»ages  for  refreshment,  Croghan  arrived 
the  first  of  June  at  the  head  of  the  Falls  of  tht'  Uiio,  where  he 
landed  and  encam[)ed  for  the  night.  On  the  h^Mowing  morn- 
ing his  party  passed  the  Falls  or  rapids  :  but  as  the  river  was 
([uite  low  at  tlie  time,  they  had  to  lighten  their  boats  in  order 
to  get  safely  througli  the  channel  on  the  Indiauii  side.  (Con- 
tinuing their  expeditious  voyage,  they  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  Wubash  on  the  «>th,  and  found  ther(  ;i  rude  breast- 
work, 8up[»OMed  to  have  b  'en  erected  by  the  Ijidians.  Six 
miles  below  tlie  Wabash,  they  put  to  shore  and  encamped 
at  a  place  known  as  the  "Old  Shawnee  Village,"  Kome  little 
distance  above  the  present  Shawneetown.*  From  this  land- 
ing place  Croghan  <lisj>atched  two  of  his  Indians  across  the 
country  to  Fort  ('hartres,  with  letters  \X)  r/ieutenant  Fi-a/iCr, 
who  was  suj)posed  lo  be  still  at  that  post,  and  to  Captain 
St.  Ange  de  Bellcrive. 

At  day-break,  on  the  8th  of  June,  while  yet  in  carap, 
on  the  site  of  the  old  Iiulian  village,  Croghan's  [>arty  was 
suddenly  surrounded  :ind  fired  upon  l)y  a  baud  of  eighty 
K:cka|)oo  and  Maneoutin  wurriors,  who  had  been  watching 
his  movementM  for  several  diiys.  They  killed  five  of  hie 
company,  two  white  men  aud  three  Delaware   liuiians,  and 


*The  time  occupied  in  this  dtiwnward  trip  from  Fort  Pitt  waa 
twenty-one  dayH,  and  the  distJinct!  traveled.  <-iKht  iiuiidred  miles,  by 
the  pinuoHiticH  of  the  river.  It  will  thuH  he  sei-n  that  they  moved  with 
unusual  celerity,  averaging  ahout  forty  miles  per  day. 


i! 


356 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


wouuded  neveral  others,  including  the  leader  himself;  then 
made  liim  and  the  rest  of  the  whites  prisoners,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  despoil  them  of  every  thing  they  had.  The  ex- 
cuse afterward  given  hy  the  assailants  for  this  unprovoked 
and  murderous  attack  was,  that  they  had  been  told  that 
Croghan  was  coming  into  their  country  with  an  armed  es- 
cort of  Cherokees,  their  mortal  enemies.  But  a  better 
reason  was  to  be  found  in  their  instinctive  love  of  blood 
and  plunder.  Having  quickly  divided  the  spoils  of  Colonel 
Oroghan's  camp,  the  Kickapoos  and  Mascoutins,*  fearing 
the  arrival  of  another  marauding  party,  whom  they  sus- 
pected to  be  on  their  trail,  left  such  heavy  articles  as  they 
could  not  carry  away,  and  set  off  in  haste,  with  their  [irison- 
ers,  for  their  villages  on  the  Upper  Wabash.  Their  course 
lay  on  and  through  tlie  heavily  wooded  river  bottom,  which 
was  so  intersected  by  morasses  and  beaver  ponds,  as  to 
render  traveling  slow  and  laborious. 

On  tlie  15t]i  they  reached  Post  Vircennes,  where  a 
hah  was  made  of  two  days  for  rest  and  refreshment. 
Here  Croghan  had  some  new  apparel  nuide  for  himself  and 
men,  and  [)urcha8ed  a  few  hors  ihe  J'iankashaw  Indi- 

ans, promising  them  payment  wnen  he  should  reach  De- 
troit. In  his  printed  journal  he  gives  but  a  poor  character 
to  the  French  at  Vincennes,  whom  he  describes  as  a  "  lazy 
people,  a  parcel  of  renegades  from  Canada,  and  much  worse 
than  the  Indians."  lie  further  says:  "  They  took  a  secret 
pleasure  at  our  misfortune,  and  the  moment  we  arrived 
they  came  to  the  Indians,  exchanging  tritles  for  our  valua- 
ble plunder,"  But  Croghan  was  hardly  in  a  frame  of  mind 
to  do  those  French  settlers  justice,  for  they  refused  liim 
permission  to  write  to  any  one  but  the  commandant  at  Fort 
Chartres.f 

Arriving  at  Fort  Onatantm  on  the  28d  of  June,  he 
was  set  at  liberty,  and  took  up  his  tem[»orary  ciuartern 
there,  where  lie  foun<l  a  number  of  French  families  living. 


*  Called  •'  MiuiquatiMos"  by  Croghan. 

tJournal  of  (Jvor;<t>  Ccogban,  "who  wub  houI  in  MWy  to  conciliate 
tho  Indian  nationn  tliat  ha<i  liithorto  acted  with  the  French."  Burling- 
ton (N.  J.)  reprini,  IHUl  ;  nmali  4to,  pp.  38. 


Croghan  Meets  Pontiac. 


357 


;  then 
1  pro- 
he  ex- 
)Voked 
d  that 
lied  68- 
hetter 

f  \)l0()(l 

Oolouel 
fearing 
ley  8U8- 
as  they 
'  priBoii- 
r  course 
n,  which 
Is,  as  to 

where  a 
•oshment. 
iiself  and 
uiw  Indi- 
cac'h  De- 
character 

a  a  "  lazy 
u'iv  worHo 
k  a  secret 
c  arrived 
>uv  vahiii- 
e  of  mind 
used  him 
ut  at  Fort 

June,  he 
ly  (luarters 
llics  living. 

,.,  conciliate 
•i."     Burlinn- 


This  palisaded  fort,  as  he  iiifonns  us,  was  located  on  the 
north  side  of  tlie  Wabash,  about  two  huiuired  and  ten 
miles  above  Post  Vincent,  by  the  windings  of  the  river.  It 
derived  its  name  from  a  tribe  of  Weas,  or  Ouiataiions,  whose 
principal  village  stood  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Wabash, 
a  few  miles  below  tlie  site  of  what  is  now  Lafayette,  In- 
diana. The  fort  was  maintained  as  a  trading  post  with  the 
Indians  until  June,  1791,  when  it  was  destroyed  hy  an 
American  force,  under  the  command  of  General  Charles 
Scott,  of  Kentucky. 

During  Croghan's  stay  liere,  a  messenger  arrived  with 
a  letter  from  Captai!i  St.  Ange,  inviting  him  to  visit  Fort 
Ohartres  and  arrange  matters  for  the  withdrawal  of  the 
French  garrison  from  that  place.  As  this  re([uest  coincided 
with  his  own  previous  intentions,  he  set  out  with  an  Indian 
escort,  on  a  journey  thitlier  across  the  prairies,  but  had  not 
traveled  far  before  he  was  met  by  I'ontiac  and  a  numerous 
retinue  of  his  dusky  warriors,  on  their  return  from  the  Il- 
linois. This  astute  chief,  perceiving  at  last  that  the  great 
confederation  he  had  formed  among  the  Indian  nations  in 
the  west  was  falling  to  })ieces,  and  that  he  had  nothing 
more  to  hope  for  from  the  French,  was  coming  to  nuike 
terms  with  the  accredited  agent  of  tlie  Englisli ;  and  for 
the  pur})ose  of  further  conference  on  tlie  subject  they  now 
returned  together  to  Fort  Ouatanon.  Ifaving  hastily  con- 
vened the  neighboring  ehiefs  ami  braves  in  council,  INjutiac 
produced  tbecalnmet  of  peace,  ami  made  a  plansilile  speech 
to  them.  Me  declared,  among  other  things,  that  the  French 
had  misled  him  with  the  story  that  the  English  [)urposed 
to  stir  up  the  Cherokecs  against  his  brethren  of  the  Illinois, 
to  con(pier  and  enslave  them.  FFe  allowed  that  the  Eng- 
lish Tiiight  take  possession  of  Fort  Chartres  and  the  other 
[K)sts  in  the  Illinois,  but  suggested  that  as  the  French 
settlers  bad  never  bought  their  lands  of  the  Indians,  and 
lived  on  them  by  sutreramje  only,  their  successors  would 
have  no  legal  right  of  possession.  The  amicable  disposi- 
tion shown  by  such  of  the  Illinois  warriors  as  were  pres- 
ent at  this  council,  with  other  sufficient  reasons,  induced 


358 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


Cro|jlian  to  forego  his  intended  trip  to  Fort  Chartres,  and 
to  turn  hifl  attention  to  the  tribes  on  the  north-east. 

Having  adjusted  matters  satisfactorily  with  the  mitives 
at  and  ahout  Fort  Ouatanon,  he  depa  ed  thence  on  the 
25th  of  July,  being  accompanied  by  Poiitinc  and  a  number 
of  his  followers.  Proce(>ding  on  horseback  up  the  Valley 
of  the  Wabasli  to  tlie  portage  between  that  river  and  the 
Maumee,  Crogb  'ii  stopped  to  visit  a  small  village  of  the 
Twiglitees  near  Fort  Miami.  He  thence  continued  liis 
journey  to  the  main  Twightec  village,  situated  on  the  St. 
.foseph's  River,-'^  which  unites  with  the  St.  Mary  to  form 
the  Maumee,  or  Miami,  as  it  was  called  by  him.  Arrived 
thither,  he  met  a  friendly  reception  from  the  Twightee 
chiefs,  and,  after  comi>leting  his  conference  with  them,  set 
out  on  the  6th  of  August  for  Detroit,  descending  the  Mau- 
mee in  a  canoe  to  Lake  Erie.  On  the  17th  he  landed  at 
the  battle-scarred  post  of  Detroit,  which  he  incidentally  de- 
scribes in  his  journal,  as  a  "large  stockade,  inclosing  about 
eighty  h.jiises.  Durirg  liis  stay  here,  he  held  fiequent 
consultations  with  the  chiefs  of  the  Ohippewas,  Wyandots, 
Pottawatomies,and  other  congregated  tribes,  from  whom  the 
fear  of  condign  punishment,  and  the  privations  they  had  en- 
tlured  in  conse(pience  of  the  long  suspension  of  the  fur- 
trade,  had  driven  all  tlioughts  of  furtlicr  liostility.  They 
had  had  enough  of  war  to  curb  their  restless  spirit  for  the 
time  at  least,  and  Avere  anxious  to  make  terms  with  the 
English  authorities.  At  a  general  meeting  of  the  sachems 
and  warriors,  convened  in  the  Council  Hall  on  the  27th  of 
August,  Croghan  was  ])resent,  and  in  imitation,  or  rather 
exaggeration,  of  that  figurative  forest  eloquence  with  which 
he  had  become  so  familiar,  thus  addressed  the  convocation: 

Ohildiien, — We  are  very  glad  to  see  so  many  of  you 
present  at  your  ancient  council  fire,  which  has  been  neg- 
lected for  some  time  past.  Since  then  liigh  winds  have 
blown,  and  raised  heavy  clouds  over  your  country,  f  now, 
by  this  belt  (of  wampum),  rekindle  your  ancient  fire  and 


*  The  jibovo  mnntk>np»l  rivt^r  St.  .lowpli  Hhoiild  not  Ix^  (tonfust'd 
with  ttiKiDiir  iiiid  lurijtr  «trcuui  of  the  Bauu-  mime,  which  flowH  west 
WHrd  into  Lakt  Michigan. 


Peace  Speeches  by  Cruff/ifi./i  aix/  Pontine. 


359 


res, 


and 


3  natives 

I  on  the 

,  number 

le  Valley 

■  and  the 

yQ  of  the 

"Iiued   his 

,n  the  St. 

J  to  form 

Arrived 

Twightee 

1  them,  set 

r  the  Maii- 

'  landed  at 

len tally  de- 

)8ing  about 

\d  fioquent 
Wyandots, 

m  whom  the 

\iey  had  en- 

of  the  fur- 

Ihty.     They 

;p-irit  for  the 
ns  with  the 
t\u^  HiH'hems 
,  the  'i7th  of 
,n,  or  rather 
tewith  Nvhleh 
convocation: 
many  of  you 
|ias  been  neg- 
»  winds  have 

jntry.     I  "«^' 
nent  fire  and 

Lot  \w  (!on(uBt'<i 
lincW  fWws  west- 


throw  dry  wood  upon  it,  that  the  bhize  may  ascend  to 
heaven,  so  that  all  nations  may  see  it  and  know  that  you 
live  in  peace  with  your  fathers,  the  English.  By  this  belt 
I  disperse  all  the  black  clouds  over  your  heads,  that  the  sun 
may  shine  clear  upon  your  women  and  ciiildren,  and  those 
unborn  may  enjoy  the  blessings  of  thiH  general  peace,  now 
so  happily  settled  between  your  fatb«  ,  the  English,  and 
you,  and  all  your  younger  brethren  toward  the  sunsettittg. 

"Children,  we  have  made  a  road  from  the  sunrising  to 
the  sunsettin^.  \  desire  that  you  will  preserve  that  road, 
good  and  pleasant  to  travel  upon,  that  we  may  all  wharc  the 
blessings  of  this  happy  reunion.'" 

The  council  rcasscndjled  the  next  dav,  when  I'ontiac, 
in  behalf  of  his  peo]»le,  replied  to  Croghan's  address  as 
follows : 

"  Father,  wo  have  all  smoked  out  of  this  pipe  of  peace. 
It  is  your  ehildren's  pi[)e;  and  as  the  war  is  all  over  now, 
and  the  Great  Spirit,*  who  has  made  the  earth  and  every 
thing  therein,  has  brought  us  all  togethei*  tliis  day  for  our 
mutual  good,  1  declare  to  all  the  nations  that  1  have  settled 
my  peace  with  you  before  1  came  here,  and  now  deliver  Tuy 
»e  to  be  st'ut  to  Sir  William  -loliUNon.  that   h< 


PM 


my 


[  have  made  jteace  and  taken  the  King-  of  Knii;land  for  my 
Path e I',  in  preseiKH'  of  all  nations  now  assembhid;  aiul  when- 
ever any  of  these  nations  go  to  visit  him,  they  may  nmoke 
out  of  it  with  him  in  peace. 

•'  Fathcis.  we  are  obligeil  lo  you  for  lighting  up  our 
old  c(»(in(!il  lire  for  lis,  and  i|('wlHiig  i|h  |o  return  to  it.  but 
we  (the  Ottawas)  are  now  settUMJ  on  the  Maumee  River  not 


far  fi 


I'om   henct' :  wlienever  y^ 


wai 


it   us,  you   will  find  us 


there.  Owv  |teo[de  love  Tuiuor,  and  if  we  dwelt  near  you 
in  our  old  village,  our  warriors  would  be  always  <lrunk,  and 
((uari-els  would  ai'ise  between  u>  and  you/'f 


*'  Pontiac  iirnbahly  derived  Iur  corn-ct  imlions  of  tiir  (<r('ut  Spirit 
mainly  from  asHociation  witl\  wliitr  nun;  and  'here  is  no  doubt  but 
tliat  hiw  spueehew  were  reviBed  and  improved  Homewhut  by  th*-  Knjrlish 
HcribeH. 

t  Vide  "  History  of  tlie  Conspiracy  of  I'ontinr,"'  by  I'lanciH  Park- 
niun,  lloBton,  IH(>8;  4th  edition,  p[».  rvV),  ^;. 


360 


Conspiraci/  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


The  conciliatory  inisHioii  of  Colonel  Croghun  being  at 
last  brought  to  a  happy  fruition,  he  started  on  his  return  to 
the  KaHt  toward  the  close  of  September,  going  first  to  Fort 
Niag;  .1,  and  thence  to  report  to  the  commander-in-chief. 
Before  quitting  Detroit,  however,  he  had  exacted  from 
Pontiac  a  promise  to  repair  to  Oswego,  ^ew  York,  and 
enter  into  a  treaty  of  peace  and  amity  with  Sir  William 
Johnson,  the  Indian  Superintendent,  on  behalf  of  tliose 
western  tribes  with  whom  he  had  been  leagued  in  the  late 
war.  In  fulfillment  of  his  jM-omise,  the  veteran  chief  pro- 
ceeded, with  a  few  attendants,  to  Oswego  in  the  early  sum- 
mer of  the  next  year  (1766),  and  tliere,  in  presence  of  a 
large  gathering  of  whites  and  Indians,  he  thus  addressed 
the  I'cpresentative  of  the  British  crov  n  :  "  Father,  we  thank 
the  Great  Spirit,  who  has  given  us  this  day  of  bright  skies 
and  genial  warmth  to  consider  the  great  afiairs  now  before 
us.  In  his  presence,  and  in  behalf  of  all  the  nations 
toward  the  sunsetti ng,  of  which  I  am  the  master,  I  now 
take  you  by  the  hand,  I  call  upon  him  to  wntness  that  I 
have  spoken  from  my  heart,  and,  in  the  name  of  the  tribes 
which  I  represent,  I  promise  to  keep  this  covenant  as  long 
as  I  live." 

Aftei'  the  execution  of  the  treaty  at  Oswego,  Pontiac 
returned  to  liis  home,  on  the  banks  of  the  Maumee  River, 
and  for  t\ni  ensuing  three  years  bnricd  liis  ambition  and 
disai>pointment  in  the  seclusion  of  its  somber  forests,  pro- 
viding, as  a  comn\on  hunter,  for  the  wants  of  ])is  family 
and  dependents. 

In  the  meantime  Captain  Thonuis  Stirling,  following 
upon  the  mission  of  Croghan,  embarke»»  in  boats  at  Fort 
Pitt,  with  one  hundred  veteran  Highlanders,  of  the  42(J 
lilnglish  regiment,  and  descended  the  Ohio  to  its  mouth. 
Pnshing  thence  Up  the  Mississippi,  he  arrived  at  Fort  ('har- 
tres  in  tlie  early  [»art  of  Uctuher,  1765,  iind  on  or  about 
the  10th  of  that  month  took  military  possession  of  tlie 
fortress.  "The  flag  of  France  descended  from  the  nan- 
part,  and,  with  the  stern  courtesies  of  war,  St.  Aiige 
yielded  up  his  post,  the  cita<lel  of  Illinois.  In  that  act  was 
consummiit('<l    the   double    hinniph    of    Hiltisli    powtir    in 


General  Gage's  Proclamation. 


361 


ing  at 
:urn  to 

0  Fort 
i-chief. 

1  from 
k,  ivnd 

f  thotie 
:lie  late 
ief  pro- 
ly  auiu- 
ice  of  a 
IdresHod 
re  thank 
jUt  ski  OS 
w  before 
nations 
r,  I  now 
38  tliat  I 
he  tribes 
as  long 

I'ontiao 
ee  River, 
tion  and 
I'stH,  pro- 
is  family 

[ollowing 
at  Fort 
the  42(1 
|rt  month, 
ort  ('har- 
lor  ub(»ut 
In   of  the 
Itlip  riim- 
.    Ange 
at't  was 
nower   "m 


in  America.  England  had  crushed  her  hereditary  foe ; 
France,  in  her  fall,  had  left  to  irretrievable  ruin  the  savage 
tribes  to  whom  her  policy  and  self-interest  had  lent  a 
transient  support."* 

On  assuming  command  of  the  fort  and  country,  Cap- 
tain Stirling  caused  to  Vje  posted  and  published  the  follow- 
ing ^.proclamation,  which  had  been  carefully  prepared  some 
months  in  advance,  and  was  intended  as  a  kind  of  consti- 
tution of  government  for  the  Illinois  : 

"  By  his  Excellency.  Thomas  Gage,  Major-General  of  the  King's 
armies,  Colonel  of  the  22d  Regiment,  General,  commanding  in  chief  of 
the  forces  of  His  Majesty  in  North  America,  etc. 

"Whereas,  by  the  peace  concluded  at  Paris,  on  the  lOtli  of  Febru- 
ary, 1763,  the  country  of  the  Illinois  has  been  ceded  to  His  Britannic 
Majesty,  and  the  taking  possession  of  the  said  country  of  the  Illinois 
by  troops  of  His  Majesty,  though  delayed,  has  been  determineil  upon, 
we  have  found  it  good  to  make  known  to  the  inhabitants 

•'That  His  Majesty  grants  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  Illinois  the  lib- 
erty of  the  Catholic  religion,  as  it  has  already  been  granted  to  his  sub- 
jects in  Canada;  he  has,  consequently,  given  the  most  precise  and  effect- 
ive orders,  to  the  end  that  his  new  Roman  (Jatholic  subjects  of  the  Illi- 
nois maj"^  exercise  th(!  worship  of  their  religion,  according  to  the  rites 
of  the  Roman  Church,  in  the  same  manner  as  \\\  (!anada; 

"That  His  Majesty,  moreover,  agrees  that  the  French  inhabitants 
or  others,  who  have  b?en  subjci'tsof  the  Most  Christian  Kitig,  may  retina 
in  full  safety  and  freedom,  wherever  they  please,  even  to  New  Orleans,  or 


*Parkman'8  "Conspiracy  of  I'ontiac,"  p.  559. 

[Fkench  Commandants  at  Illinois.] 

A^o<<?.— By  way  of  recapitulation,  we  here  present  a  list  of  the  suc- 
cessive Trench  connnandants  at  the  dt>pendency  of  the  llliiiolH,  wiUl 
the  years,  as  neai  as  may  be,  of  their  respective  fc  /vice,  beginning  with 
Roisbriant : 

Pierre  |)uc|UK  d(!  MiilHlirliillli  ,         .         .        ,         .     i7IH-1725 

CaptiiiiMle  Tlsni't  (toniporurllyi        ....        1725  1 7aH 

The  Hieur  de  Mette 172(1)7^1) 

UmisSt.  Angtide  Hollerlve |7:iO-|7!|4 

Pierre  d'Artaguette I7;{'i  l7;Ui 

Alphonse  de  la  BuissonliirH I7;{(1  1741) 

BenoistdeSt.  Clair  ....  |i  III  |7|ll 

The  Chevalier  de  Bortel 174:}-1749 

at.  Cldlr,  (igiiln 17411  1751 

I'lio  Chevalier  de  .Vlacfltty 1751   17H() 

M.  Neyon  de  Villiors 1700-1704 

St.  Ange,  again 1704-1705 


362 


Conspiracy  and  War  of  Pontiac. 


any  other  part  of  Louisiana,  although  it  should  ii;i;'pen  that  the  Span- 
iards take  poBbvKBion  of  it  in  tho  name  of  His  Catholic  Majesty;  and 
may  sell  their  estates,  provided  it  be  to  subjects  of  Hits  Majesty,  and 
transport  tlieir  effects,  as  well  as  persons,  without  restraint  upon  their 
emigration,  under  any  pretense  whatever,  except  in  consequence  of 
debts  or  criminal  process; 

"  That  those  who  choose  to  retain  their  lands,  and  become  subjects 
of  Ills  Majesty,  shall  enjoy  the  same  security  for  their  persons  and  effects, 
and  liberty  of  trade,  as  the  old  subjects  of  the  king  ; 

"  That  they  are  coujinanded,  by  these  presents,  to  take  the  oath  of 
fidelity  an<l  obedience  to  His  Majesty,  in  presence  of  Sieur  Stirling, 
Captain  of  the  Highland  Regiment,  the  bearer  hereof,  and  furnished 
with  our  full  powers  for  this  purpose ; 

"  That  we  recommend,  forcibly,  to  tht;  inhabitants,  to  conduct  them- 
selves like  good  and  faithful  subjects,  avoiding  by  a  wise  and  prudent 
demeanor  all  cause  of  complaint  against  them  ; 

"That  they  act  in  concert  with  His  Majesty's  officers,  so  tiiat  his 
troops  may  take  peaceable  possession  of  all  the  posts,  and  order  be  kept 
in  the  country;  by  this  means  alone  they  will  spare  His  Majesty  the  ne- 
cessity of  recurring  to  force  of  arms,  and  will  find  themselves  siivved  from 
the  scourge  of  a  bloody  war,  and  of  all  the  evils  which  the  march  of  an 
army  into  their  country  would  draw  after  it. 

"  We  direct  that  these  presents  be  read,  published,  and  posted  up 
in  the  usual  i)laces. 

'"Done  and  given  at  head-quarters,  New  York.  Signed  with  our 
hand,  sealed  with  our  seal-at-arms,  and  countersigned  by  our  Secretary, 
this  SOth  of  December,  a.  d.  1704* 

"  By  His  Excellency,  Thomas  Ga(je,  [Seal.] 

"G.  Marturin,  Secretary." 


*Tho  attuiitive  iLjUier  of  Amtriean  history  will  remember  that  it  was  General 
<iage  who,  some  (en  years  later,  preeipitated  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  by  sending 
out  fi'ojn  Hoslou,  MHssHcluisetts,  the  expeilitionary  force  that  led  to  the  battle  of 
l/exington. 


Occurrences  in  Lower  Loumana. 


363 


le  Span- 
5ty,  and 
■Bty,  and 
on  their 
uence  of 

>  subjects 
id  effects, 

le  oath  of 
r  Stirling, 
furnished 

luet  th(;m- 
d  prudent 

}0  tiuit  his 
lor  be  kept 
>yty  the  ne- 
giived  from 
narch  of  an 

1  posted  up 

d  with  our 
ir  Secretary, 

IE,  [Skai..] 


lit  was  General 
Ln,  >>y  sending 
1,  tho  battle  of 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

1764-1769. 
OCCUHKKNCES    FN     LOWER    LOUISIANA. 

On  the  15th  day  of  Jane,  17n4,  M.  Xeyon  de  Villiers, 
having  become  impatient  at  tlie  delay  of  the  British  con- 
querors in  arriving  to  take  possession  of  Fort  Ohartres,  and 
disgusted  w  ith  his  position,  rt^inquisyied  the  office  of  major- 
commandant  at  the  Illinois,  wliich  lu-  had  filled  nearly  four 
years,  and  departed  down  tiie  Mississippi,  accompanied  by 
six  officers,  sixty-three  soldiers,  and  eighty  French  inhab- 
itants of  Illinois,  including  women  and  children. -'•  Me 
reached  New  Orleans  on  the  2d  of.  July,  and  tlnuv  tem- 
porarily fixed  his  quarters.  Not  long  after  this,  \w  was  re- 
quited for  his  lidelity  and  services  to  the  French  crown 
with  the  insignia  of  the  Gross  of  St.  Louis,  a  distinction 
corresponding  to  the  more  modern  Legion  of  Honor. 

Mons.  d'Abba(he  was  then  acting  governor  or  director- 
general  of  Louisiana,  having  superseded  Govci'iior  Korlerec 
in  June,  1768.  As  heretofore  observe*!,  V7estern  Louisiana, 
and  the  island  district  of  New  Orleans,  had  been  abandoned 
to  Spain   by  a  {)rivi»te   treaty  t  (Nov.  8,  17<>2).  which  was 


*  Mfiny  of  these  "  inhubiluntH,"  who  were  induced  to  move  to  Li)uisi- 
ana  by  assurances  from  De  x'illiers  tliat  they  would  receive  lumls  tiu're 
in  lieu  of  those  they  had  abandoned,  soon  afterward  found  reason  to 
repent  of  their  hiiste  in  (iuittin}j  the  Illinois. 

t  Without  any  apparent  reference  to  this  separate  mid  private  treaty, 
the  boundaries  between  the  French  and  I'lritish  po.s.sessious  in  North 
America  were  defined  by  the  definitive  treaty  of  peace  between  the  Kings 
of  France,  Spain  and  Kngland.  siyjned  nt  Paris  on  tlu'  10th  of  I'ehrtiary 
1763;  which  article  reads  as  follows: 

''Article  VII.  Tn  order  to  re-establish  peace  on  solid  and  durable 
foundations,  and  to  remove  forever  all  motives  for  dispute  respecting  the 
limits  of  the  French  and  British  territories  on  the  American  continent, 
it  has  been  agreed  that  the  Imdts  between  the  states  of  his  most  Chris- 
;jan  majesty  and  those  of  his  Britannic   majesty,  in  that  part  of  the 


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364 


De  ChoiseuVs  Note  to  Count  de  Fuentes. 


kept  a  state  secret /or  eighteen  months.  On  the  2l8t  of  April, 
1764,  the  French  prime  minister  addressed  the  following 
note  to  the  Spanish  ambassador  on  the  subject  of  the  cession 
of  Louisiana : 

"  Versailles,  AprU  21,  1764. 

"To  the  Conde  {Count)  de  Fuentes: — Sir,  the  king  has 
caused  the  necessary  orders  to  be  issued  for  the  surrender 
of  the  country  of  Louisiana,  with  New  Orleans  and  the 
island  on  which  the  said  city  htands,  into  the  hands  of  the 
commissioner  whom  his  Catliolic  majesty  may  appoint  to 
receive  them.  I  have  sent  the  papers  to  the  Marquis 
d'  Ossun,  who  will  have  the  lionor  to  present  them  to  his 
OathoHc  majesty.  Your  excellency  will  see  that  the  king's 
orders  ,'>.re  entirely  conformaljle  with  the  acts  signed  in 
1762,  and  that  his  majesty  has  caused  some  articles  to  be 
inserted  equally  conducive  to  tne  tran(j[uillity  of  the  coun- 
try after  it  is  in  possession  of  his  Catholic  majesty,  and  to 
the  happiness  of  its  inhabitants. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  e^tcem,  your  ex- 
cellency'n  most  lunnble  and  obedient  servant. 

"  The  Duo  de  Cholseul." 


At  the  same  time  a   letter  was  written  by  or  in  the 


world,  sliall  licroafter  be  irrevocably  fixed  by  a  line  drawn  along  tbe 
middle  of  the  river  MiseisHJppi,  from  itti  source  lo  ibe  river  Iberville ; 
and  thence  by  another  line  throngb  the  middle  of  that  river,  and  of  the 
lakcH  Maurepas  and  I'ontchartraiii,  to  the  wea ;  and  for  this  purpoBe,  the 
most  ChriHtian  kin^f  cedeH  to  IiIh  Hritannie  nuijcHty,  and  miaranties  to 
him,  the  entire  poimession  of  the  river  and  i)ort  of  Mobile,  and  of  all 
that  he  pospesHi-s  or  .should  have  posseHHed  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river 
MiHsiwHlppi,  with  the  exception  of  New  Orleans,  and  of  the  island  whereon 
that  city  KtiMu's,  winch  are  to  reii  ain  suliject  to  France;  it  being  under- 
stood that  the  navigation  of  the  MiHsiHHii)pi  River  is  to  be  etjually  free  to 
the  subjects  of  tJreut  Britain  and  of  I'Vance,  in  its  whole  breadth  and 
extent,  from  its  hource  to  the  sea,  and  particularly  that  part  between  the 
said  island  ot  New()rl(>ans  and  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  as  well  as 
till' I'litraiiti'  and  di'parturc  by  its  mouth.  It  is  inoreox^er  stipulated, 
that  the  vessels  belonging  to  the  subjects  of  either  nation  are  not  to  be 
detained,  searched,  nor  obliged  to  pay  any  duty  whatsoever.  'V\w  stip- 
ulations conlaiiii>d  in  the  fourth  article,  in  favor  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Canada,  are  to  be  ol  equal  ellect  with  regard  to  the  iuhabitaatH  of  tbe 
countries  ceded  by  this  article." 


Occurrences  in  Lower  Louisiana. 


365 


April, 
lowing 
cession 

1764. 
mg  Vias 
rrender 
and  the 
B  of  the 
point  to 
Marquis 
mto  his 
le  king's 
,\gned  in 
les  to  be 
ihe  coun- 
y,  and  to 

^  your  ex- 

)r  in  tlie 

■w  along  the 
r  Iberville; 
r,  and  of  the 
p\irposiS  the 
iiaranties  to 
,.,  and  of  all 
of  the  river 
and  whereon 
lu'inn  nnder- 
,,uaUyfreeto 
\)roadth  and 
bt>twi'en  the 
jr,  m  well  as 
->r  Htipulated, 
iar«>  not  to  he 
.r.    Tlie  Htip- 
lnhabitantH  of 
.itantHof  the 


name  of  Louis  XV,,  King  of  France,  to  M.  d'A.bbadie, 
Director-general  of  Louisiana,  instructing  him  to  acquaint 
the  inhabitants  of  that  [»rovince  with  the  act  of  cession,  and 
to  turn  over  the  government  to  the  officers  of  Spain,  when 
they  shouUl  arrive  to  receive  it.  We  give  jdace  here  to  an 
English  copy  of  this  historical  state  paper  : 

^^Monsiear  d'Abbadic  : — ILiving,  by  a  special  act,  passed 
at  Fontainebleau,  November  8d,  1762,  ceded,  voluntarily, 
to  my  dear  and  well-beloved  cousin,  the  King  of  Spain,  his 
heirs  aiid  Buccessors  in  full  right,  completely  and  without 
restriction,  the  whole  country  known  under  the  name  of 
Louisiana,  a.^  well  as  New  Orleatib  and  tlie  island  on  which 
that  town  is  situated ;  and  the  King  of  Spain  having,  by 
another  act,  passed  at  the  Escurial,  on  the  13th  of  Novem- 
ber, in  the  sivme  year,  accepted  tlie  cession  of  the  said 
country  of  Louisiana  town  and  island  of  New  Orleans,  ac- 
cording to  the  annexed  co})i<!8  of  these  acts ;  I  write  this 
letter  to  inform  you  that  my  intention  is,  that  on  the  re- 
ceipt of  this  letter  and  the  coities  annexed,  whether  it 
reaches  you  through  the  officers  of  his  S})ani8h  Majesty,  or 
directly  by  the  French  vessels  cluirged  with  its  delivery, 
you  will  resign  into  the  hands  of  the  governor  (or  oiHcer) 
therefor  appointed  by  the  King  of  Spain,  the  said  country 
and  colony  of  Louisiana  and  its  dei>endencies,  with  the  town 
and  island  of  New  Orleans,  in  such  state  as  they  nuiy  be 
at  the  date  of  such  cession,  wishing  that  in  future  they  be- 
long to  his  Catholic  nuijesty,to  be  governed  and  administered 
by  his  governors  and  oiiicers  as  belonging  to  him,  in  full 
right  and  without  exception. 

"  I  accordingly  order,  tluit  >s  soon  as  the  governor  and 
troops  of  his  Catholic  majesty  arrive  in  the  said  country 
and  colony,  you  put  them  in  possession,  and  withdraw  all 
the  officers,  soldiers  and  employes  in  my  service  in  garrison 
there,  to  send  them  to  France,  and  my  other  American 
colonies,  or  such  of  them  as  are  not  dispoHcd  to  renuiin 
under  the  Spanish  authorities.  1  moreover  desire,  tiiat, 
after  the  entire  evacuation  of  said  port  and  town  of  New 
Orleans,  you  collect  all  papers  relative  to  the  liiuinces  and 


__t— — 


366 


Letter  of  Louis  XV.  to  Governor  d^Abbadie. 


administration   of  the  colony  of  Louisiana,  and  come  to 
France  and  account  for  them. 

"  It  is,  nevertheless,  my  intention  that  you  hand  over 
to  the  governor,  or  oiiicer  thereto  appointed,  all  the  papers 
and  documents  which  especially  concern  the  government  of 
the  colony,  either  relative  to  the  colony  and  its  limits,  or 
relative  to  the  Indians  and  the  various  posts,  after  having 
drawn  proper  receipts  for  your  discyiarge,  and  given  said 
governor  all  the  information  in  your  power  to  enable  him 
to  govern  said  colony  to  the  reciprocal  satisfaction  of  both 
nations. 

"It  is  my  will  that  there  be  made  an  inventory,  signed 
in  duplicate  by  you  and  his  Catholic  Majesty's  commissary, 
of  all  artillery,  eficcts,  magazines,  hos[)ital8,  vessels,  etc., 
belonging  to  me  in  said  colony,  in  order  that,  Uiter  putting 
said  commissary  in  possession  of  the  civil  edifices  and 
buildings,  an  appraisement  be  made  of  the  value  of  all  the 
eifects  remaining  in  the  colony,  the  price  whereof  shall  be 
paid  by  his  Cathoru*  Majesty  according  to  such  a})praisement. 

"  I  hope,  at  the  same  time,  for  the  advantage  and  tran- 
quillity of  the  inhabitants  of  the  colony  of  Louisiana,  and 
1  flatter  myself,  in  conse(pience  of  the  friendship  and  aiiec- 
tion  of  his  Catholic  Majesty,  that  he  will  be  pleased  to  in- 
struct his  governor,  t)r  any  other  otticers  employed  by  him 
in  said  colony  and  said  t(»vvn  of  New  Orleans,  that  all  the 
ecclesiastics  and  religious  communities  shall  continue  to 
perform  the  rights,  privileges,  and  exemptions  granted  to 
them;  that  all  the  judges  of  ordinary  jurisdiction,  together 
with  tlie  Superior  Council,  shall  continue  to  administer 
justice  according  to  the  laws,  forms,  and  usages  of  the  col- 
ony;  that  the  titles  of  the  inhabitants  to  their  property 
shall  be  confirmed  in  accordauvie  with  the  (ioncossions  made 
by  the  governors  and  ordinary  commissaries  of  said  colony; 
and  that  said  concessions  shall  be  looked  upon  and  lield  as 
confirmed  ])y  his  Catholic  Majesty,  although  they  may  not 
as  yet  have  been  confirmed  by  me;  ho[>ing,  moreover,  tliat 
bis  Catholic  Majesty  will  be  pleased  to  give  his  subjects  of 
Louisiana  the  marks  of  protection  and  good  will  which 
they  have  received  under  my  government,  which  would 


Occurrences  in  Lower  Louisiana. 


367 


nae  to 

i  over 
papers 
aent  of 
nits,  or 
having 
en  said 
jle  bim 
of  both 

7,  signed 

missary, 

,cl8,  etc., 

i^  putting 

ices   and 

)f  all  the 

'  Bhall  be 

■aisement. 
and  tran- 

iiana,  and 
vnd  aitcc- 
m\  to  iu- 
1(1  by  him 
iit  all  the 
Intinue  to 
ranted  to 
I,  together 
ihninister 

f  tbe  col- 
property 

lions  made 
d  colony; 
d  held  as 

,'  may  "ot 

oviM',  that 

|\ib.)ect8  of 

\\\   whicb 

eh   would 


have  been  made  more  effectual,  if  not  counteracted  by  tbe 
calamities  of  war — 

"  I  order  you  to  have  this,  my  present  letter,  re^^istered 
by  the  Superior  Council  at  New  Orleans,  in  order  that  the 
people  of  the  colony,  of  all  ranks  and  conditions,  be  in- 
formed of  its  contents,  and  that  they  may  «vail  themselves 
of  it,  should  need  be;  such  being  my  sole  object  in  writing 
this  letter.  I  pray  God,  M.  d'Abbudie,  to  have  you  in  his 
holy  keeping. 

"Given  at  Versailles,  April  21,  1764. 

[Signed]  "  Louis. 

[Countersigned]     "  The  Due  dk  Choiseul." 

It  was  not  until  October  of  that  year  that  Governor 
d'Abbadie  reluctantly  {)ublished  the  foregoing  letter.  Kis 
health  was  already  declining,  and  the  mental  distress  at- 
tending the  performance  of  this  official  duty  hastened  his 
death,  w  liich  occurred  in  New  Orleans  on  the  4th  of  the 
following  February,  1765.  He  was  a  [)atriotic  and  popular 
magistrate,  just  to  all,  and  firm  in  his  enforcement  of  the 
laws.  At  a  meeting  of  the  leading  citizens  of  New  Orleans, 
held  shortly  after  his  decease,  a  feeling  tribute  was  paid  to 
his  memory. 

M.  d'Abbadie  was  succeeded  in  office  by  Cai)tain  Charles 
Aubry,  the  senior  military  officer  of  the  province,  on  whom 
was  now  devolved  the  humiliating  duty  of  handing  over 
the  goverimient  of  Louisiaiui  to  the  Spaniards.  By  his 
valor  in  the  war  with  England,  Aubry  had  won  high  praise 
and  tho  Cross  of  St.  Louis,  and  was  also  respected  for  his 
social  virtues ;  but  though  a  good  grenadier,  he  had  few 
qualities  to  fit  him  for  properly  governing  a  colony  situated 
as  Louisiana  then  was.* 


*  Memoir  of  LoniHiana,  by  the  Chevalier  de  CliainplKuy.  He  waa  a 
contemporary  and  acqualntanee  of  Aubry's,  and  lias  drawn  hJH  por- 
trait in  no  (iattering  terms.  Here  it  is:  "  M.  Aubry  waw  a  little,  dry, 
lean,  ugly  man,  without  nobility,  dignity,  or  carriuxe.  il'w  faee  would 
seem  to  announce  a  liypocritu,  but  in  him  this  vice  sprang  from  «ixceH- 
Bive  goodness,  which  granted  all  rather  than  disphiase;  always  tn'mbling 
for  the  couBequenccB  of  the  moat  indiflereut  actions,  u  natural  ellect  of 


itm'.iatiui-'xitL 


="*  tf 


ll^f' 


368 


Arrival  of  Acadians  in  Louisiana. 


Between  the  first  of  January  and  the  15th  of  May,  1765, 
about  six  hundred  and  fifty  Acadian  exiles  arrived  in  New 
Orleans  from  the  English  colonies,  to  swell  the  population 
of  that  part  of  Louisiana  still  nominally  remaining  to  the 
French.  At  this  juncture  of  affairs,  their  Cv.niing  was  re- 
garded as  a  misfortune,  since  it  imposed  a  fresh  burden 
upon  the  unhappy  colonists.  Nevertheless,  the  claims  of 
kindred  humanity  could  not  be  ignored,  and  the  poor  ex- 
iles were  sent  by  the  acting  governor  to  form  settlements  in 
the  districts  of  Attakapus  and  Opelousas.  In  the  following 
February  (1766),  two  huiulred  and  sixteen  more  Acadians 
arrived  to  join  their  bretbreti  in  Louisiana.  They  were 
authorized  to  make  settlements  on  both  sides  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, from  below  Baton  Kouge  up  to  Point  Coupee.  Hence 
origimited  the  epithet  of  "Acadian  Coast,"  which  is  still 
applied  to  the  banks  of  the  river  between  those  two  points. 
As  these  refugees  were  destitute  of  supplies,  the  same  ra- 
tions were  issued  to  them  by  the  provincial  commissary, 
during  the  first  year  of  their  residence,  as  were  allowed  to 
the  troops  in  the  province.  They  were  an  indusi.rious  and 
frugal  people,  strongly  attaclied  to  the  French  interest  and 
the  Catholic  religion,  and  they  prospered  almost  from  the 
start  in  Louisiana. 

When  the  treaty-cession  of  Louisiana  to  Spain  was  at 
last  made  public,  it  created  surprise  and  indignation  at  New 
Orleans  and  elsewhere  in  the  province,  and  a  general  feeling 
of  despair  would  have  ensued,  if  the  people  had  not  been 
buoyed  uj»  with  the  hope  that  the  transfer  would  never 
actually  take  place.  F^arly  in  the  year  1765,  a  meeting  of 
the  principal  citizens  and  planters  from  the  different  parishes 
was  convened  in  the  city  of  New  Orleans  for  the  purpose 
of  considering  the   subject  of   their  distracted  condition. 


a  mind  without  r*?BOurce  or  light,  always  allowing  itself  to  be  guided, 
and  thus  often  swerving  from  rectitude ;  religious  through  weakness 
rather  than  from  principle;  incapable  of  wishing  evil,  but  doing  it 
through  a  diaritable  human  weakness;  destitute  of  magnanimity  or  re- 
flection ;  a  good  soldier,  but  a  bad  leader;  ambitious  of  honors  and  dig- 
nity, but  possessing  noitlier  firmness  nor  capacity  tv^  bear  the  weight."— 
Vide  Hist.  Coil's  of  La.  (Fifth  of  the  series),  p.  163. 


■Ui 


Last  Appearance  of  Bienville  ;  His  Death. 


369 


iy,1765, 
in  I'few 
pulation 
g  to  the 
;  was  re- 
i  burden 
[jlaims  of 
poor  ex- 
ements  in 
following 
Acadians 
'hey  were 
;he  Missis- 
ie.    Hence 
ich  is  still 
two  points, 
e  same  ra- 
ommissary, 
allowed  to 
_  rious  and 
(iiterest  and 
it  from  the 


Ipam 


was  at 


ion  at  New 
oral  feeUng 
(I  not  been 
ould  never 
nieeting  of 
nt  parishes 
he  purpose 
condition, 

Ito  be  guided, 
tigh  weakness 
but  doing  it 
lanimity  or  re- 
Inors  and  dig- 
Iho  weight."— 


and  of  Hendiiig  to  the  throne  of  France  a  united  a[)peal  for 
royal  interposition  in  their  behalf.  At  this  meeting  L,i  Fre- 
niere,  attorney-general  of  Louisiana,  made  an  eloquent 
speech  on  the  situation  of  the  colony,  and  presented  a  res- 
olution earnestly  supplicating  the  king  not  to  sever  the 
colony  from  the  parent  country.  The  resolution  was 
promptly  adopted,  and  ,Jean  Milhet,  of  New  Orleans,  was 
selected  to  carry  the  petition  to  the  foot  of  the  throne. 

Upon  his  arrival  in  Paris,  Milhet  went  to  the  residence 
of  the  aged  Bienville,  who,  by  his  request,  accompanied 
him  to  Versailles.  Waiting  upon  the  Duke  de  Choiseul, 
the  prime  minister  of  Louis  XV.,  they  were  courteously  re- 
ceived and  their  statements  attentively  listened  to  ;  but  the 
resolution  of  tlie  minister  was  unshaken,  and  he  replied  to 
them,  in  sul)stance,  as  follows: 

"  (ientlemen,  I  must  put  an  end  to  this  painful  scene. 
I  am  deeply  grievetl  at  not  being  able  to  give  you  any 
hope.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  telling  you  that  I  can  not 
address  the  king  on  this  subject,  because  I  myself  advised 
the  cession  of  Louisiana.  Is  it  not  to  your  knowledge  that 
tlui  colony  (_.in  not  continue  its  {)resent  precarious  existence, 
except  at  an  enormous  expense,  of  which  France  is  now 
utterly  iiicapable  y  Is  it  not  better,  then,  that  Louisiana 
should  be  given  away  to  a  friend  and  taitliful  ally,  than 
be  wrenched  from  us  by  an  hereditary  foe  ?  Farewell.  You 
have  my  best  wi:shes;  I  can  do  no  more." 

This  interview  is  depicted  by  Mr.  Gayarre  as  an  aflect- 
ing  one,  and  the  pathetic  appeai  of  Bienville  on  behalf  of 
Louisiana  as  not  unlike  that  of  a  father  pleading  for  the 
life  of  his  child  ;  yet,  under  the  then  circumstances,  it  was  of 
no  avail.  The  excitement  attending  his  effort,  and  grief  at 
the  loss  of  his  beloved  colony,  seem  to  have  loosened  the 
feeble  chords  that  bound  him  to  life,  and  he  died  no  very 
long  afterward  in    his  eighty-seventh  year.*     lie  had  sur- 

*  Bitnville  den-iiHed  Man^h  7.  17()7.  and  was  buried  with  military 
lioiiorH  in  the  cemetery  (»f  Montmartn'.  His  in^raved  portrait,  trom  an 
oil  painting  belonging  to  tiie  Le  Moyne  family  uuuiHion  at  i^oiigucul, 
Canada,  prewnts  him  with  a  martial  figure  and  a  noble  head,  in  keeping 
witii  his  ri'eord. 

24 


4 


870 


Occurrences  in  Lov)er  Louisiana. 


vived  all  of  hi"^  eminent  brothers.  He  had  seen  Canada, 
the  land  of  his  nativity,  pass  from  the  possession  of  the 
crown  of  France  to  that  of  Great  Britain,  and  must  now 
witness  the  transfer  of  Louisiana,  with  its  future  proud 
metropolis,  which  he  had  founded  and  fostered,  to  the  do- 
minion of  Spain.  All  that  the  patriarch  had  most  loved 
and  cherished  ou  earth  was  gone  before.  Uence,  it  was 
lot  desirable  for  him  to  longer  live,  and  he  departed  to 
join  the  shade  of  liis  favorite  brother,  Iberville,  in  the  spirit 
world.* 

The  primary  motive  of  France,  in  voluntarily  ceding 
Western  Louisiana  to  Spain,  appears  to  have  been  to  in- 
demnify the  latter  for  her  expenses  in  the  war  then  just 
closed.  Another  incentive  was  to  prevent  Louisiana  from 
falling  into  the  hands  o^'  Great  Britain.  Moreover,  the 
province  had  become  a  burden  to  the  French  government, 
of  vvhi(ih  it  was  anxious  to  be  disincumbered.  It  has  been 
computed  that  France,  in  her  [)rolonged  attempt  to  colonize 
Louisianji,  expended  directly,  or  indirectly,  nearly  twenty 
millions  of  dollars,  without  receiving  any  proportionate  re- 
turn ;  and  if  she  had  continued  to  hold  the  country,  it 
would  have  been  necessary  for  her  to  have  incurred  a  large 
additional  outlay.  "Hence,"  says  Gayerre,  "the  anxiety 
of  the  French  government  to  part  with  a  territory,  which, 
at  a  later  perii»d,  in  abler  hands,  was  destined  to  astonish 
the  world  by  its  rapid  and  gigantic  prosperity." 

The  Duke  de  Ohoiseul  having  refused  to  address  the 
king  on  the  ([uestion  of  revoking  the  transfer  of  Louisiana 
to  Spain,  and  linvinij;  denied  Milhet  access  to  his  nuijesty, 
the  commissioner  returned  to  New  Orleans,  and  reported 
the  failure  of  his  mission.  Still  liojung  that  the  treaty  of 
cession  would  never  be  carried  into  execution,  Jean  Milhet 
was  again  sent  to  France,  but  returned  with  a  like  result. 
His  next  voyage,  as  we  shall  hereafter  see,  was  as  a  state 
prisoner  to  Moro  Castle,  in  Cuba.   . 

The  French  colonists,  however,  did  not  altogether 
lose  hope,   in  which  they  were  sustained  by  the  delay  of 


»  Gayttrr<j'8  lIiHt  of  La.,  Vol.  11,  pp.  IL'S-S). 


Opposition  to  Ulloa's  Gcvernment. 


371 


Canada, 
1  of  the 
ust  now 
•e  proud 
)  the  do- 
08t  loved 
ie,  it  was 
parted  to 
the  Hpirit 


\\y  ceding 

aen  to  in- 

■  then  just 

siana  from 

■eover,  the 

)vernmcnt, 

Lt  has  heen 

to  colonize 

arly  twenty 

rtionate  re- 
country,  it 
red  a  large 
he  anxiety 

lory,  whieh, 
to  astonish 

laddross  the 
)['  Louisiana 
his  majesty, 
id  reported 
le  treaty  of 
lleanMilhet 
like  result. 
Is  as  a  state 

altogether 
[lie  delay  of 


the  Spanish  government  in  taking  possession  of  the  coun- 
try. It  was  not  until  the  middle  of  the  year  1765,  that  the 
Court  of  Madrid  appointed  Captain  Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa — 
a  man  of  high  reputation,  and  descended  from  a  family  dis- 
tinguished in  the  maritime  annals  of  his  country — to  as- 
sume the  government  of  Louisiana.  Some  months  in  ad- 
vance of  his  arrival  in  the  province,  Ulloa  wrote  from 
Havana  to  the  Superior  Council  at  New  Orleans  the  fol- 
lowing brief  letter,  announcing  his  miiision  : 

"  Gentlemen — Having  recently  been  instructed  by  his 
Catholic  Majesty  to  repair  to  your  town  and  take  posses- 
sion of  it  in  his  name,  and  in  conformity  with  the  orders 
of  his  Most  Christian  Majesty,  I  avail  myself  of  this  0(;ca- 
sion  to  make  you  acipiainted  witli  my  mission,  and  to  give 
you  information  that  1  shall  soon  have  the  honor  to  be 
among  you,  in  order  to  proceed  to  the  execution  of  my 
ci/inmission.  I  flatter  myself  beforehand,  that  it  will  afford 
me  favorable  op[)()rtunities  to  render  you  all  the  services 
that  you  and  the  inhabitants  of  your  town  may  desire;  of 
which  I  beg  you  to  give  them  the  assurance  from  me,  and 
let  them  know  that  in  acting  thus,  1  only  discharge  my 
duty  and  gratify  my  inclinations. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

"  Antonio  be  Ulloa." 
"Havana,  July  10,  1765." 

The  Spanish  governor  arrived  at  the  Balize,*  with 
some  Capuchin  friars  and  eighty  soldiers,  on  the  28th  of 
February,  1766,  and,  proceeding  up  the  Mississippi,  landed 
in  New  Orleans  on  the  5th  of  March.  He  was  received  by 
the  French  inhabitants  with  every  superficial  mark  of 
courtesy  and  good  will;  but  such  was  tlieir  aversion  to 
Spanish  rule,  and  such  the  lack  of  tact  and  administrative 
talent  of  Ulloa  himself,  that  he  could  not  openly  exercise 
his    authority. t     The   French   troo[)H   continued    to    serve 


*  A  8!nall  port  or  sottUnri»>nt  at  the  outlet  of  the  MiBsissippi,  on 
the  west  sitU',  in  Freiu.'h  times.  It  took  its  name  from  the  (Spanish  word 
balizu,  a  hoticon. 

tThe  iniBtake  of  the  Spanish  government,  at  this  time,  was  in  not 
sending  an  adequate  military  force  to  sustain  Ulloa's  authority. 


372 


Occurrences  in  Lower  Louisiana. 


under  their  national  flag;  the  council  acted  in  the  name  of 
the  King  of  France ;  and  all  orders  emanated  from  Aubry, 
the  dc  facto  French  governor,  who  practically  governed  the 
colony  for  the  King  of  Spain,  The  Spanish  flag  was  un- 
furled at  the  Balizo,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Iberville,  at 
the  post  opposite  Natchez,  and  at  the  Missouri ;  but  at  all 
the  other  posts  in  tbe  province,  the  P'rench  colors  were 
kept  up  as  before. 

Governor  Ulloa  was  apparently  so  desirous  of  concili- 
ating those  over  whose  aftairs  he  had  come  to  preside,  that 
on  his  arrival  he  promised  to  keep  at  a  tixed  rate  the  de- 
preciated })aper  currency  of  the  province,  which  then 
amounted  to  about  seven  millions  of  livres.  He  also  as- 
certained tbe  resources  and  wants  of  the  country,  and 
agreed  to  discharge  the  most  pressing  demands  against  it. 
On  tbe  6th  of  September,  1766,  the  governor  published  an 
ordinance  of  the  Spanish  government  regulating  and  limit- 
ing the  commerce  of  Louisiana,  but  permitting  a  direct 
trade  with  the  French  West  Indies.  This,  together  with 
subsequent  commercial  restrictions,  produced  great  discon- 
lent  and  excitement  at  New  Orleans,  and  Ulloa,  fearing 
an  attempt  on  liis  life,  retired  for  safety  to  the  Balize. 
Here  (January  20,  1767)  he  ettected  an  arrangement  with 
Aubry,  by  which  the  latter  resigned  to  him  the  colony  of 
Louisiana,  but  agreed  to  govern  it  for  the  time  being.  This 
act  was  signed  by  the  two  governors  in  duplicate,  and  was 
to  be  exchanged  by  the  two  courts  of  I'aris  and  Madrid.* 

In  the  meantime  a  conspiracy  was  set  on  foot  by 
Lafreniere,  Foucault,  Marquis,  Noyon,  Villere,  Milhet, 
Petit,  Caresse,  Poupet,  Bo'f^^blanc,  and  others,  to  drive  Ul- 
loa and  his  Spaniards  from  the  province.  To  this  end,  at  a 
delegate  convention  of  planters,  merchants  and  tradesmen, 
held  in  New  Orleans  on  the  28th  of  October,  1768,  a  peti- 
tion was  signed  by  five  hundred  and  thirty-six  persons,  pray- 
ing the  Superior  Council  for  a  restoration  of  their  former 
rights  and  privileges,  and  for  the  expulsion  of  the  Span- 
iards from  the  country.     This  petition  was  presented  to  the 


*  CJhampigny's  M<Mnoir  of  Ix)uisiaDa. 


Revolution  again f>.t  the  Spanish  Authority. 


373 


name  of 
11  Auhry, 
jrned  the 
;  was  iin- 
erville,  at 
but  at  all 
lorB  were 

)f  conoili- 
Bside,  that 
te  the  de- 
Mcb   then 
[e  also  as- 
intry,  and 
against  it. 
iblished  an 
J  and  limit- 
ig  a  direct 
rether  with 
t-eat  discon- 
lou,  fearing 
le  Balize. 
enient  with 
>  colony  of 
eing.     This 
te,  and  was 
1  Madrid  * 
n   foot   by 
re,   Milhet, 
drive  Ul- 
is  end,  at  a 
tradesmen, 
768,  a  peti- 
rsons,  pray- 
heir  former 
■  the  Span- 
nted  to  the 


[) 


Council  on  tiie  next  day  (the  29th),  and,  despite  the  formal 
protest  of  Aubry,  the  French  (iommundant,  a  decree  was 
passed  that  nijou  and  the  Spanish  troops  should  leave  the 
colony  within  three  days.  Governor  dlloa  did  not  stand 
on  the  order  of  his  going,  but  eml)arkcd  on  the  evening  of 
the  31st  of  October,  with  his  few  troops,  and  sailed  for 
Spain,  where  ho  arrived  on  the  4th  of  December  following. 
The  news  of  this  ill-starred  revolution  soon  reached 
Spain,  and  the  king  (Charles  III.)  called  a  meeting  of  his 
ministers  to  determine  upon  the  fate  of  Louisiana.  At  this 
cabinet  council  it  was  decided  that  possession  of  that  prov- 
ince should  bo  taken  by  force,  if  necessary.  Apprehending 
considerable  resistance  from  the  French  inhabitants,  the 
king  issued  orders  for  the  fitting  out  of  a  formidable  expe- 
dition, and  gave  the  command  of  it  to  General  O'Reilly, 
whom  he  also  appointed  governor  and  captain-general  of 
the  province.* 


*  Don  Alexaiidro  O'Reilly  was  born  in  Ireland  about  the  year  1735, 
and  when  quite  a  young  man  went  to  Sj)ain,  and  entered  the  Spanish 
military  service.  Joining  a  body  of  his  native  countrymen  called  tlie 
"  Hibernia  Regimei:*^,"  he  served  a  campaign  in  Italy,  where  he  received 
a  wound  which  lamed  him  for  the  rest  of  his  life.  In  1755  he  obtained 
permission  from  the  king  to  enter  the  Austrian  army,  and  made  two 
campaigns  against  the  Prussians.  In  1759  he  volunteered  in  the  army 
of  France,  in  vhich  he  distinguishe  I  himself  by  his  soldierly  qualities, 
and  was  recommended  by  the  Duke  de  Broglie  to  tlu>  King  of  Spain, 
who  commissioned  him  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel;  and,  as  such, 
he  served  with  distinction  in  the  war  with  Portugal.  He  was  afterward 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  on  the  conclusion  of  the 
peace  of  17(52  was  raised  to  the  rank  of  major-general,  in  whica  capacity 
he  was  sent  to  Havana  to  rebuild  the  fortifications  of  that  city,  which 
had  been  demolished  by  the  British.  O'Reilly  stood  high  in  the  confi- 
dence of  the  king,  notwithstanding  the  prejudice  existing  against  him 
among  the  Spaniards  on  account  of  his  foreign  birth.  He  was  a  man  of 
flexible  disposition  and  conciliatory  manners,  yet  stern  and  unyielding 
of  purpose.  We  are  not  informed  of  the  precise  nature  of  his  instruc- 
tions on  being  sent  to  Louisiana;  hut  the  substance  of  them  is  embodied 
in  a  royal  order  addressed  to  Don  Pedro  Giacia,  under  date  of  January 
28,  1771,  in  which  the  king  says:  "But  those  inhabitants  having  re- 
belled, ...  I  commissioned  Don  Alexandro  O'Keilly,  lieutenant- 
general  of  the  array,  and  inspector-general  of  all  my  infantry,  to  pro- 
ceed thither,  take  formal  possession,  chastise  the  ringleaders  (informing 
me  of  all),  establish  the  said  government,  uniting  the  province  to  the 


■}-:\\ 


•''V  M 


374 


Occurrences  in  Lower  Loumana. 


Governor  O'Reilly  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  tlie  Missis- 
sippi on  the  24tli  of  July,  1709,  with  a  fleet  of  twenty-four 
ships  and  transports,  bearing  an  ariuy  of  twenty-six  hundred 
clioice  troops, — a  foree  so  hirge  as  to  render  all  attempts  at 
resistance  hopeless.  On  the  same  day  he  dispatched  his  aid 
to  Aubry,  the  acting  French  governor,  to  announce  his  ar- 
rival, and  to  notify  him  that  he  was  duly  authorized  to 
receive  possession  of  the  Province  of  Louisiana. 

The  coming  of  the  Spanish  armament  excited  a  great 
commotion  in  New  Orleans;  and  on  the  27th  the  citizens 
sent  delegates  to  O'litriily  to  im))lore  his  clemency.  They 
returne<l  to  the  city  the  next  day  with  assurances  from  the 
governor  that  he  was  disposed  to  be  lenient.  On  the  17th 
of  August  he  reached  Xew  Orleans,  and  on  the  next  day 
took  military  possession  of  the  government. 

Governor  G'Keilly  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  re- 
sponsible oflice  with  every  out.vard  ma  lifestation  of  respect 
for  all  classes  of  the  citizens ;  but,  while  promising  pardon 
to  those  who  quietly  submitted,  lie  hnd  resolved  in  his  own 
mind  to  punish  the  principal  actors  in  the  late  revolution. 
This  determination,  however,  was  concealed  until  he  had 
procured  from  Aubry,  the  retiring  French  governor,  a  full 
report  of  that  event.  On  the  2l8t  and  22d  of  August,  after 
receiving  Aubry's  communication,  he  caused  to  be  quietly 
arrested  and  imprisoned  twelve  chiefs  of  the  revolution 
tiiat  had  expelled  his  predecessor,  Ullou.  They  were, 
Nicholas  Chauvin  de  la  Freniere,  ex-procureur-general  of 
the  province,  and  senioi*  member  of  the  Superior  Council; 
Jean  Baptiste  Xoyon,  his  son-in-law,  a  young  man  of  great 
worth  and  promise;  Pierre  Caresse,  captain  of  militia; 
Pierre  Marquis,  a  knight  of  St.  Louis ;  Jean  and  Joseph 
Milhet,  father  and  son  ;  Joseph  Villiere,*  captain   in  the 


rest  of  my  doiuinions;  all  of  which  ho  did,  adapting  its  laws,  and  after 
proposing  to  nie  that  which  ho  judged  jjroper  for  the  commerce  of  the 
country,  and  for  the  extimstion  of  the  council  by  wiiich  it  is  governed, 
and  establishing  a  cahiklo  in  the  place  of  said  council,  and  taking  other 
measures,  all  of  which  were  approved  by  me,"  etc. — Hist.  Coil's  of  La., 
Fifth  Series  (N.  Y.,  185:5),  p.  247. 

*  /iller^  resisted  arrest,  and  died  in  prison  three  days  after,  from 


Conviction  and  Sentence  of  the  Revolutionists. 


375 


Missis- 
ity-tour 
lundred 
iiuv)ts  at 
L  his  aid 
e  liis  iir- 
rized   to 

i  a  great 

citizeius 
^  They 
from  the 

the  17th 
next  day 

:)f  hia  re- 

of  respect 
\g  pardon 
n  his  own 
evohition. 
il  he  had 
nor,  a  full 
gust,  after 
be  quietly 
•evolution 
ley   were, 
l<rcneral  ot 
r  Council  ; 
n  of  great 
f  militia; 
1(1  Joseph 
lin   in  the 

IvH,  and  after 
linerce  of  the 
J  is  governed, 
[taking  other 
>)U'8  of  La., 

Is  after,  from 


militia;  Jonepli  Petit,  uiereluuit ;  Baltliauijcr  <le  Masan, 
captain  in  the  French  service;  Jerome  Doucet,  lawyer; 
Hardi  de  BoishUmc,  assessor  to  tlie  Council;  and  Pierre 
Poupet,  merchant.* 

These  sudden  arrests  produced  extreme  uneasiness  and 
trepidation  aniouij^  the  French  inhabitants.  To  quiet  their 
fears,  the  Spanish  governor,  on  the  28d  of  August,  issued 
a  })roclamati(m  of  amnesty,f  and  a  call  inviting  the  people 
to  appear  before  him  on  the  26th,  and  take  the  oath  of  al- 
legiance to  his  Catholic  majesty. 

Something  over  a  month  after  their  arrest,  the  pris- 
oners were  arraigned  before  a  semi-military  tribunal,  con- 
stituted for  the  purpose,  on  the  charge  of  treason  and  re- 
bellion, the  deceased  V^illere  being  represented  by  an  attor- 
ney in  fact.  They  wee  tried  and  convicted  under  Spanish 
law,  and  their  property  was  confiscated  to  the  state,  after 


tlic  effectof  wounds  received  in  Imb  struggle  with  tli»'  SpuniHli  gendannes 
for  liberty. 

*  M.  Foncault,  president  of  the  Superior  ('ouncil,  and  commissary  of 
the  province,  was  also  plaee;l  under  guard;  but  at  his  request,  and  in 
deference  to  his  olRoial  position,  he  was  sent  to  France  for  trial.  He  is 
described  as  a  v.ily  man.  who  aeled  with  singular  duplicity  toward  tlie 
rev<,.-,,tionists  in  Louisiana. 

t  [^O'Reilh/x,  I'rodnmnlinn  of  AiiDCsty.] 

"  In  the  name  of  the  King.  w{\  Alexander  O'Reilly,  ccmmander  of 
Benfayan,  in  the  onler  of  Alcantara,  major  and  insiiector-general  of  the 
armies  of  his  Catholic  majesty,  captain-genera!  and  governor  of  the 
Province  of  Louisiana,  in  virtue  of  tlic  orders  of  his  Catholic  majesty, 
and  of  the  powers  with  which  we  are  invested,  declare  to  all  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  rrovinc;e  of  Louisiana,  that  whatever  just  cause  past 
events  may  have  iiiveii  his  majesty  to  make  theui  feel  his  imlignation, 
yet  his  maje.^ty's  intention  is  to  listen  only  to  the  inspirations  of 
his  royal  clemency,  because  lie  is  pcTsuaded  that  the  inhabitants 
of  Louisiana  would  not  have  committed  the  oflense  of  which  they  are 
guilty,  if  they  had  not  been  seduced  by  the  intrigues  of  some  ambitious 
fanatic,  and  evil-minded  men,  who  had  the  temerity  to  make  a  crim- 
inal use  of  the  ignorance  and  excessive  credulity  of  their  fellow-citizens. 
These  inen  alone  will  answer  for  their  crimes,  and  will  be  judged  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  laws.  So  generous  an  act  on  the  part  of  his  majesty 
migljt  be  a  pledge  to  him  that  his  new  subjei^ts  will  endeavor  every  day 
of  their  lives  to  deserve  by  their  fidelity,  zeal,  and  obedience,  the  par- 
don and  protection  which  he  grants  them  from  this  moment." 


ir« 


37« 


Occur renre.'i  in  Loincr  Louisiana. 


the  payment  of  their  dehts.  The  sentence  of  the  court  was 
pronounced  by  the  governor  himself,  October  24, 1769.  Five 
of  the  number,  viz.,  Lafren'ere,  No^'on,  Car^sse,  Marquis, 
and  (Josepli)  Milhet,  were  condemned  to  death  on  the  gal- 
k)W8 ;  but  as  no  white  hangman  could  be  found  in  the  col- 
ony, they  were  shot  (October  24lh)  in  the  ya.  d  of  the  bar- 
racks. The  memory  of  Villere  was  decla»'e<i  infamous.  It 
has  l)een  observed,  and  |)erhaps  truly,  that  these  men  died 
victims  to  their  love  of  libertv  rather  than  of  devotion  to 
France. 

The  six  renuiining  culprits  were  sentenced  to  varying 
ternjs  oi'  imju'isonment.  Petit  was  sentenced  to  imprison- 
ment for  life;  Masan  iind  Doucet  to  ten  years;  Boisblanc, 
Milhet  (Jean),  and  Toupet  to  v,\x  years  each,  with  the  un- 
derstanding that  none  of  theui  should  ever  be  permitted  to 
live  in  any  of  the  dominions  of  his  Catliolic  majesty.  Thoy 
were  shortly  after  transported  to  Havana,  and  incarcerated 
in  Moro  Castle ;  but  they  were  subsequently  i>ardonod  by 
the  King  of  Spain,  on  the  intercession  of  the  French  am- 
bassador at  that  court.  After  tlieir  release,  it  is  siiid  that 
they  went  to  reside  at  Cape  Francois,  in  vSt.  Domingo.* 

The  extreme  punishment  thus  meted  out  to  a  few 
leaders,  while  a  free  pardon  was  extended  to  the  mass  of 
the  people,  though  conformable  to  Spanish  ideas  of  justice 
and  clemency,  aroused  a  de^])  feeling  of  indignation  among 
the  French  inhabitants  of  Louisiana,  and  evoked  much  un- 
favorable criticism  in  Old  France. 

O'Ueidy  now  proceeded  to  abolish  the  laws  of  France 
in  the  province,  and  to  substitute  those  of  Spain.  On  the 
2l8t  of  November,  he  issue<l  his  [iroclamation  foi'  the  aboli- 
tion of  the  Superior  Council,  which  had  been  deeply  impli- 
cated in  the  insurrection  against  Spanish  authority.  In 
place  of  the  Superior  Council,  he  established  the  Cnhildo, 
which  was  both  a  liigh  <'ourt  and  a  legislative  council,  and 
at  which  the  governor  presided.  In  its  judicial  <.'ai)acity, 
it  only  exercised   appellate  jurisdiction  in  appeals  from  the 


"*  Fur  a  t;ircuiii8tiintiiil  iicrouul   ol  tliis  rcinarkultU'  Htatc  trial,  i^»'o 
Gayiirr6'8  lliKt.  of  l.a.,  Vol.  II,  pp.  ;>0:t  :i4;(. 


Foreign  Populatior)  of  the  Province. 


377 


tirt  waa 
I.    Five 

[arqui^i 
the  fral- 
the  (!ol- 
:he  bar- 
OUB.  It 
len  died 
otion  to 

,  varying 

Ttiprison- 

loiablanc, 

h  the  un- 

luiltcd  to 

;y.     Thoy 

;arcerated 

•doned  by 

'er.ch  am- 
aaid  that 

lingo  * 
to  a  tew 
e  mass  of 
of  justice 

[on  among 
much  un- 

lof  France 
On  the 
tiic  aboU- 
Lly  impli- 
lority.     In 
lie  Cobildo, 
Inncil,  and 
(.'upacity, 
fr(>ni  the 

[w  trial,  f«"« 


Alcalde  courts,  which  were  estabhshed  in  New  Orleans  and 
the  various  villages. 

He  appointed  lieutenant-governors  for  the  several  dis- 
tricts of  the  province ;  and  a  commandant,  with  the  rank 
of  captain,  was  appointed  for  each  parish  or  settlement, 
wiih  authority  to  exercise  a  mixed  civil  and  military  juris- 
diction. 

He  also  caused  to  be  published,  in  French,  an  abridgment 
of  Spanish  law,  which  be  proniulgated  for  the  government 
of  the  province  until  the  Spanish  language  should  be  bet- 
ter understood  by  the  colonists.  This  publication,  known 
as  the  "Ordinances  and  Instructions  of  Don  Alexander 
O'Reilly,"  was  afterward  approved  by  the  "  Council  of  the 
Indies."  The  Spanish  language  was  henceforth  tliiit  in 
which  the  judicial  proceedings  were  conducted  and  records 
kept  throughout  the  province.  The  black  code,  or  code 
noir,  which  had  been  previously  in  force  in  the  colon3%  was 
modified  and  re-enactev'  for  the  government  of  the  slaves. 
Foreigners  were  prohibited  from  passing  through  the  coun- 
try without  passports  from  the  governor,  and  the  inhabit- 
ants were  prevented  from  trading  with  the  P^nglish  colonies. 
The  colonists  were  at  first  TK'rmitted  to  emigrate,  and  many 
availed  themselves  of  this  privilege;  but,  finding  that  the 
province  was  losing  some  of  its  valuable  citizens,  O'ixcilly 
refused  to  issue  any  more  passports. 

In  accordance  with  an  enumeration  mp'!o  during  Gov. 
O'Reilly's  administration,  the  whole  foreign  population  of 
Louisiana  amounted  to  thirteen  thousand,  two  hundred 
and  thirty-eight  souls,  about  one-half  of  whom  were  Afri- 
can slaves.  They  were  distributed  in  the  settlements  aa 
toiiov»n: 


New  Orleans*  [district  of]. 
From  the  Balize  to  town  [N.  O.] 


8,190 
570 


*  According  to  the  lowest  cstiiuute,  at  tluB  time,  tht-  miinber  of 
liou8(!H  in  New  Orloiins  proper  was  4(38.  Most  of  these  were  single  story 
fltructures  of  brick  or  wood,  Iwiviiijj;  <j:irdetis  iit*a<'lit'(l,  uiid  ecllarw  above 
g.ound.  Tliev  w»'n>  situaled  within  the  quadrilat<'ral  still  known  au 
"Old  l-'rench  Town," 


378 


Occurrences  in  Lower  Louisiana. 


Bayou  St.  John 

and  Gentilly, 

307 

Tchoupitoulas  [above  New  Orleans], 

.    4,192 

St.  Charles, 

• 

389 

St.  John  the  Ba 

ptiste, 

.       544 

La  Fourche, 

•                         *                         • 

267 

Iberville, 

•                         «                         • 

.       376 

Point  Coupee, 

. 

783 

Attakapas, 

•                         •                         • 

.       409 

Avoyvelles, 

•                         •                         • 

314 

Natchitoches, 

•                         •                         • 

.       811 

Kai»i(le8,    . 

•                         •                         • 

47 

Oua<!hita, 

■                         •                         • 

.      110 

Ai'kaimaH  [Post 

of], 

88 

St.  Louis  [adjacent  to  the  Illinois], 

.       891 

13,238  * 


This  aggregate  seems  small,  considering  the  fact  that 
the  French  had  been  in  Louisiana  seventy  years ;  yet  it 
must  be  remembered  that  the  province  was  now  shorn  of 
all  its  territory  lying  north  of  New  Orleans  and  east  of  the 
Mississippi  Jliver.  including  the  Mobile,  Natchez,  and  the 
Illinois.  At  this  transition  epoch,  a  majority  of  the  French 
inhabitants  chose  to  regard  themselves  as  miserable  exiles, 
and  were  only  consoled  by  the  hope  of  acquiring  sufficient 
means  to  enable  them  to  return  to  Old  France  to  die. 
About  tlie  ondy  contented  white  people  in  the  province 
were  the  Acadians,  and  a  colony  of  Ge/mans,  whom  Law's 
company  had  sent  here  in  1722. 

The  Sjtanish  government  ratified  and  confirmed  all  of 
O'Reilly's  official  acts  in  Louisiana,  but  it  took  care  not  to 
continue  him  in  comnumd  there  afier  his  work  was  done. 
He  was  accordingly  recalled  within  a  year  from  the  date  of 

^  IliKt.  of  I.a.  ((iayiirrtj),  Vol.  H,  p.  355. 

Thi'  I'xjiortH  of  tilt!  proviiKH'  (liirinj^  the  liiHt  year  of  its  suhjection 
to  Franco  wcni  as  followH;  Indigo,  $100,000;  dcuT  Hkins,  $80,000 ;  lum- 
ber. !|r)0,i)00  ;  naval  utoreB,  $l'w',000  ;  rice,  peus,  and  beaue,  |4,000 ;  tallow, 
$4,000.     'total  cxportB,  $1,'50,IH)0. 


Fate  of  Aubri/,  the  Last  Acting  French  Governor.      879 


307 

r,192 

339 
544 

267 

376 

783 

409 

314 

811 

47 
110 

8H 
891     . 

13,238  * 

ne  fact  that 
iarw;  yet  it 
w  shorn  of 
east  of  the 
'A,  and  the 
the  French 
a\)le  exiles, 
g  sutiicient 
nee  to  (lie. 
[Q  province 
Ihoni  Thaw's 

Imed  all  of 
Icare  not  to 

was  done. 

the  date  of 


litB  subjection 
1$80,000;  Uun- 
]4,000;  tallow, 


his  appointment.  During  that  brief  period,  however,  he 
left  an  impress  of  his  own  and  the  Spanish  character  upon 
the  laws  and  institutions  of  Louisiana,  such  as  neither  time, 
nor  subsequent  political  changes,  has  wholly  obliterated. 

We  muHt  now  return  to  M.  Charles  Aubry,  Wiiose  fate 
was  sad  and  tragical.  Having  at  length  transferred  the  gov- 
ernment of  Louisiana  to  Captain-General  O'lieilly,  Aubry 
prepared  to  return  to  France.  Early  in  January,  1770,  he 
embarked  in  the  ship  or  brigantine  called  Pire  de  Families 
bound  for  Bordeaux.  On  the  18th  of  February,  when  this 
vessel  had  entered  the  mouth  of  the  river  Garonne,  she  met 
a  violent  storm,  and  foundered  near  the  Tower  of  Corduan. 
All  on  board  perished,  save  the  captain,  a  sergeant,  and  two 
sailors,  who  succeeded  in  reaching  the  land. 

"The  king,  in  order  to  show  how  much  he  appreciated 
the  services  of  Aubry,  granted  a  pension  to  the  brotiicr  and 
sister  of  that  officer.  Aubry,  before  his  departure  iVom 
Louisiana,  had  been  offered  a  high  grade  in  the  Spanish 
army,  as  a  token  of  satisfaction  at  the  liberal  course  which 
he  had  pursued  toward  that  nation  in  the  colony,  but  he 
refused  it  on  the  ground  that  he  intended  to  devote  the 
remnant  of  his  days  to  the  service  of  his  native  country. 
Some  there  were,  who  thought  that  if  those  whom  they 
loved  so  dearly  had  been  unjustly  treated,  it  was  mostly  in 
consequence  of  the  imprudent  denunciations  of  that  officer, 
and  of  his  servility  to  O'Keilly  and  the  Spaniards.  Hy 
them  his  melancholy  end  was  looked  upon  as  an  act  of  the 
retributive  justice  of  Heaven."  * 

One  of  the  most  noteworthy  events  associated  with  the 
close  of  the  French  rule  in  Louisiana  was  tiie  banishment 
of  the  Jesuits,  which  was  effected  i)V  a  decree  of  the  Su- 
perior  Council  in  1763,  followed  by  aif  edict  of  the  King  of 


*ni8t.  of  La.  (Gayarr6),  Vol.  H.,  p.  :{44. 

Note. — The  oflicial  corroHpomicnct'  of  .\iibry  wuh  ilopositcd  in  the 
archives  at  Paris,  but  his  privntc  jonr.i!il,  with  vnhiablc  papers  bi'long- 
ing  to  tho  province,  wen?  lost  with  liini  in  tiie  shipwreck.  Tiiis  was  to 
bo  regretted,  since  they  contained  much  matter  tending  to  illustrate  tho 
history  of  Louisiana  during  that  troubled  period. 


■•■•jt:'  'Si 


til 


380 


Occurrences  in  Lower  Louisiana. 


France  in  1764.*  All  the  valuable  property  of  that  religious 
order  in  the  province,  including  plate  and  vestments,  was 
sequestered,  confiscated,  and  sold,  for  the  aggregate  amount 
of  $180,000 — a  large  sum,  says  Mr.  Gayarre,  at  that  day — 
which,  after  deducting  the  expenses,  was  covered  into  the 
j>ublic  treasury.  Tlie  Capuchins,  who  had  been  established 
in  Lower  Louisiana  since  1722,  and  had  long  contended  at 
disadvantage  with  the  Jesuits,  were  now  freed  from  the 
presence  of  their  formidable  rivals,  and  had  this  field  of 
labor  to  themselves. 

In  this  connection,  some  historical  notice  of  the  famous 
Societas  Jesu  (Society  of  Jesus)  may  not  be  uninteresting  or 
uninstructive  to  the  general  reader.  It  was  founded  in 
Paris  by  Ignatius  Loyola,  an  ex-Spanish  soldier  and  re- 
ligious enthusiast,  in  the  year  1534.  The  society  was  pri- 
marily established  to  promote  the  following  objects,  viz  : 
"  The  education  of  youth,  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  defend- 
ing the  Roman  Catholic  faith  against  heretics  and  unbeliev- 
ers, and  propagating  Christianity  among  the  pagans  and 
other  infidels."  Its  constitution  and  laws  were  perfected, 
it  is  said,  by  Laynez  and  Acquaviva,  two  generals  of  the 
order  wlio  early  succeeded  Loyola,  and  wlio  much  sur- 
passed him  in  iearning  and  tlie  science  of  government. 
They  framed  and  introduced  that  system  of  profound  and 
artful  policy — a  singular  union  of  laxity  and  rigor — which 
has  ever  distinguished  the  Jesuit  order.  Afte»'  receiving 
the  formal  sanction  of  Pope  Paul  III.,  in  1540,  the  society 
spread  rapidly  throughout  Euroi)e,  and  flourished  with 
ever-increasing  vigor  and  activity  for  above  two  centuries. 
It  overshadowed  all  other  orders  in  the  Church  of  Home, 
and  at  length  became  so  rich,  haughty,  and  powerful  as  to 
excite  the  jealousy  and  alarm  of  the  crowned  heads  of 
Europe. 

But  whatever  may  have  been  the  errors,  the  follies,  or 
the  crimes  of  the  Jesuits  (individually  or  collectively),  while 
playing  their  part  in  the  devious  politics  and  diplomacy  of 
the  Old  World,  it  is  generally  conceded  that  their  labors  in 

*  See  note  !n  the  next  succeeding  chapter.      ' 


Notice  of  the  Jesuits. 


381 


religious 
!ut8,  wa» 
!  amount 
at  duy — 
[  into  the 
tablished 
gentled  at 
from  the 
18  field  of 

he  famouB 
; resting  or 
Dunded  in 
ir  and   re- 
y  was  pri- 
bjects,  viz : 
)el,  dofend- 
d  unheliev- 
pagans  and 
^  perfected, 
nds  of  the 
much   8ur- 
■overnmcnt. 
ofound  and 
jror — which 
receiving 
the  society 
•inhed   with 
)  centuries. 
U  of  Rome, 
erful  as  to 
d  iieadn  of 

lie  follies,  or 
lively),  while 
iplomacy  of 
l>ir  labors  in 


the  New  were  prompted  by  a  spirit  of  genuine  philanthropy. 
Robertson,  the  eminent  historian,  in  alluding  to  their  opera- 
tions in  America,  and  particularly  among  the  aborigines  of 
Paraguay,  remarks : 

"It  is  in  the  New  World  that  the  Jesuits  have  ex- 
hibited the  most  wonderful  display  of  their  abilities,  and 
have  contribut(^d  most  effectually  to  the  benefits  of  the 
human  species.  The  (European)  conquerors  of  that  quarter 
of  the  globe  acted  at  first  as  if  they  had  nothing  in  view 
but  to  plunder,  to  enslave,  and  to  exterminate  its  inhabit- 
ants. The  Jesuits  alone  made  humanity  tlie  object  of  their 
settling  there.  They  set  themselves  to  instruct  and  to  civil- 
ize the  savaa^es.  .  .  .  But  even  in  this  meritorious  ef- 
fort  for  the  good  of  mankind,  the  genius  and  spirit  of  the 
order  have  mitigled  and  are  discernible."  '-^ 

With  reference  to  the  zeal  of  the  Jesuits  as  champions 
of  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  to  their  qualifications  as  teach- 
ers and  missionaries,  Breese  finely  writes  : 

"  They  became  most  useful  auxiliaries  to  the  pastoral 
clergy  in  those  times  of  the  Cyhurch's  greatest  need.  Tiiey 
labored  with  untiring  zeal  and  industry  in  defending  the 
faith,  then  so  violently  assailed  by  Luther  and  his  associates, 
and  in  propagating  it  in  the  countries  of  the  heathen. 

"As  spiritual  teachers  th.ey  had  no  ecpnds;  for  they 
possessed  all  the  learning  of  the  age,  and  being  in  high 
favor  with  the  [)ope,  they  easily  became  the  conscience 
kaepers  of  kings  and  tiobles.  Their  arrogance  and  pre- 
sumption, therefore,  became  excessive,  and  the  dark  and 
complicated  intrigues  of  European  politics  found  in  them 
able,  wily,  iJcrsevcring  actors.  In  every  royal  court  they 
possessed  some  power.  Schools  and  colleges  were  founded 
and  controlled  by  them,  and  schen)es  of  future  aggrandize- 
ment planned.     .     .     . 

"  In  the  plentitude  of  their  power,  no  men  on  earth 
possessed  higher  (pialilications  for  heathen  conversion  than 
they ;  for  to  their  learning  was  added  zeal,  fortitude  and 
enthusiasui,  acute  observation  and  great  address,  and  a  re- 


*  Robertson's  (^hurk'8  V.,  Book  VI. 


382 


Occurrences  in  Lower  Louisiana. 


markable  faculty  for  ingratiating  themselves  with  the 
simple  natives  of  every  clime  and  winning  their  confidence. 
They  were  meek  and  humble  when  necessary,  and  their  re- 
ligious fervor  inspired  them  with  a  contempt  of  danger, 
and  nerved  them  to  meet  and  to  overcome  the  most  ap- 
palling obstacles.  Alike  to  them  were  the  chilling  wintry 
blasts,  the  summer's  heat,  the  pestilence  or  the  scalping 
knife,  the  angry  billows  of  the  oceun  and  the  raging  storm  ; 
they  dreaded  none."* 

But  having  fallen  under  the  ban  of  the  government  of 
Portugal,  the  Jesuits  were  forcibly  expelled  from  that 
kingdom  in  the  year  1759.  In  like  manner  they  were  ban- 
ished from  the  realm  of  France  in  1764,  and  from  Spain, 
Naples  and  Parma,  in  1767.  In  J^ecember,  1768,  the  Bour- 
bon courts  of  France,  Spain,  Naples  and  Parma  united  in  a 
formal  demand  upon  the  Pope  for  the  entire  abolishment 
of  the  order;  and  on  July  2J,  1773,  Pope  Clonient  XIV. 
issued  the  famous  brief,  Dominus  ac  Rcde.mptor  noster,  by 
which  the  Company  or  Society  of  Jesus  was  declared  sup- 
pressed in  all  the  countries  of  Christendom.  The  activity 
of  individual  members  of  the  order,  however,  was  not 
thereby  abated,  nor  was  its  vitality  permanently  impaired. 
They  continued  their  teachings  in  private,  and  strove 
against  the  liberal  tendency  of  the  times, 

Attempts  to  revive  the  order  under  other  names  were 
made  in  1794,  when  the  ex- Jesuits  DeBroglie  and  De 
Tournly  founded  the  "Society  of  the  Sacred  Heart,"  and 
in  1798,  when  Paccarani  established  the  "  Society  of  the 
Faith  of  Jesus."  This  last,  despite  the  defection  of  its 
founder,  maintained  its  organization,  and  its  members 
tV)rmed  the  nucleus  of  the  restored  society  in  France.  The 
prospects  of  general  restoration  at  length  dawned  with  the 
the  Pontificate  of  Pius  VII.  in  1800.  Having  been  solic- 
ited thereto  by  Ferdinand  IV.,  he  authorized  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  order  into  the  kingdom  of  the  Two  Sicilies  in 
1804,  and  on  the  7th  of  August,  1814,  he  issued  the  bull 
of  restoration,  Solicitudo  Omnium  Lcckmarum.f 

*"  Early  History  of  III.,"  pp.  (V,),  70. 

tAmerioan  Encyclopedia  (1874),  Vol.  IX.,  p.  632.  • 


The  Jesuit  Relations. 


383 


th    the 
6,(1  cnce. 
heir  re- 
danger, 
\o8t  ap- 
r  wintry 
scalping 
y  storm ; 

[inient  of 
oni  that 
vevc  ban- 
m  Spain, 
:he  Bour- 
nited  in  a 
olishment 
cut  XIV. 

noster,  by 

lared  sup- 

le  activity 

was   not 

impaired. 

nd   strove 

lames  were 
and   De 
:eart,"  and 
|ety  of  the 
tion   of  its 
memberB 
.nee.     The 
Id  with  the 
[been  solic- 
introduc- 
Sicilies  in 
Id  the  bull 


Since  their  revival  the  Jesuits,  while  every-where  meet- 
ing with  prejudice  and  opposition,  and  experiencing  all  the 
vicissitudes  of  good  and  ill  fortune,  have  managed  to  re- 
gain their  former  footing  in  most  of  the  countries  of 
Christendom ;  and,  to-day,  though  much  less  dreaded  than 
formerly,  they  are  more  numerous,  if  not  more  powerful 
and  inlluential,  than  ever  before. 

On  account  of  the  long,  dark  cloaks  or  robes  worn  by 
the  Jesuit  missiotuiries,  they  were  universally  known 
among  the  North  American  Indians  as  the  '•  Black  Gowns," 
and  their  officiating  priests  as  the  "White  Capes."  The 
Recollet  or  Franciscan  Fathers,  in  allusion  to  the  gray 
color  of  their  outward  apparel,  were  called  the  "  Gray 
Gowns." 


"Tlio  Josuits  (writes  Mr.  lUittcrlk^ld,  in  his  work  alnjuly  cited), 
intent  upon  pushinjj  tluir  fields  of  labor  far  into  the  heart  of  the  conti- 
nent, let  slip  no  opportunity,  after  their  arrival  upon  the  Saint  Law- 
rence, to  inform  themselves  conct  riiinjj;  ulterior  rejiions,  and  the  infor- 
mation thus  obtained  was  noted  down  by  them.  They  minutely 
described,  during  a  period  of  forty  years,  beginning  with  the  year  1632, 
the  varioufi  tribes  that  they  came  in  contact  with  ;  and  their  hopes  and 
fears  as  to  Christianizing  them  were  freely  expressed.  Accounts  of 
their  journeys  were  elaborated  upon,  and  their  missionary  work  put 
upon  record.  Prominent  persons,  as  well  as  important  events,  shared 
their  attention.  Details  concerning  the  geography  of  the  country  were 
also  written  out.  The  intelligence  thus  collected  was  sent  every  sum- 
mer by  the  superiors  to  the  Provincials  at  Paris,  where  it  was  yearly 
published  in  the  French  language.  Taken  together,  these  publ legations 
constitute  what  are  known  as  the  'Jesuit  Relations.'" 

They  were  collected,  edited  and  republished  in  French,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Canadian  government,  by  M.  Augustin  Coto,  at  Quebec;, 
1858,  in  three  large  volumes.  Vol.  I  (lontains  twelve  relations  of  the 
dates  Ifill,  1026  and  l()32-l(i-H  ;  Vol.  II,  fourteen  relations,  dated  1(142- 
1655;  Vol.  Ill,  seventeen  relations,  dated  H)r)6-1()72.  The  relations  of 
each  year  are  paged  separately,  and  form  forty-three  distinct  memoirs. 
Besides  the  above,  there  are  some  separate  publications  of  a  later  date 
than  1672. 


884 


Illinois  Under  British  Domination. 


CHAPTER   XX. 


1764-1778. 


ILLINOIi*    UNDER    THE    BRITISH    DOMINATION. 


We  now  return  once  more  to  the  Illinois.  In  the 
month  of  June,  1764,  on  the  resignation  and  withdrawal  of 
M.  Neyon  de  Villiers  from  Fort  Chartres,  the  command 
of  this  stronghold  was  devolved  upon  Louis  St.  Ange  de 
Bellerive,  who  had  arrived  from  Post  Vinceunes  to  receive 
it.  He  was  a  veteran  Canadian  officer,  possessed  of  rare 
tact  and  ripe  experience,  and  in  his  early  manhood  had 
formed  one  of  Charlevoix'  escort  in  his  travels  tlirough 
tlie  West.  As  ad  interim  commandant  of  the  fortress,  St. 
Ange's  position  was  hoth  insecure  and  diificult  to  fill.  It 
required  no  ordinary  skill  and  address  to  save  the  isolated 
French  settlements  from  heing  emhroiled  in  renewed  war- 
fare with  the  English  forces  on  the  one  hand,  and  from 
massacre  by  the  hordes  of  restless  savages  that  surrounded 
them  on  the  other.  He  had  been  advised  by  his  own  gov- 
ernment of  the  treaty  of  cession  to  ICngland,  and  ordered 
to  surrender  his  post  on  the  arrival  of  her  representatives 
to  claim  it.  In  the  meantime  he  was  repeatedly  importuned 
by  deputations  from  the  martial  tribes  to  tlie  north  and 
eastward,  under  the  domination  of  Pontiac,  for  material 
aid  in  keeping  up  their  futile  struggle  against  the  English, 
and,  moreover,  was  constantly  annoyed  by  the  demands  of 
the  Illinois  Indians  for  arms  and  ammunition.  But  the 
commandant  managed  to  put  oft*  the  importunities  of  the 
natives  from  time  to  time,  with  fair  speeches  and  occasional 
presents,  while  he  anxiously  waited  the  coming  of  an  ade- 
quate British  force  to  rol  we  him  from  his  critical  situation. 
Before  yielding  up  his  olt  ce  and  authority,  however,  he  in- 
stituted some  prudent  and  salutary  regulations  respecting 


«•  Ange  take.  Command  a,  St.  Louu,  Mo.  30, 

tne  titles  of  thp  P«       u 

wise  aided  hi™  1 1^  ,-«;;;;-  '"-  land,  and  othe. 
Kvacuating  Fort  pTf ' f  "^  ,*"^  P««-er. 

-der  orders  frl„  ^  provlZ; "?':'"'  "•*^'  ^'^  ^"g-^- 
«on<luc,ed  hia  little  garrison  of  I  ".""  ^''"' °^'^''"'' 
^en.  «P  a„,l  across  fte  mI «■, l!^";i*.  ''""^  "ffloers  and 
V'  lage  of  St.  Louis.  tL  i  os  ?'"  ^'T  *"  '^^  ^'"bvyo 
XV'.  of  France,  was  fbu  d  d  LFir"'  '"  """""^'oLoL 
Laclede*  Liguest,  and  yo!l     a  ''^' ""'*'''>' K«>-re 

^™  of  "Maxent/Lac led'  rComnr^''  ''''""^^"'  "^  'he 
Orleans,  .vho  had  obtained  th^lTlV''^'"'''  "'  ^<'^ 
irom  Governor  Kerlerec  to  til  !l  T  "  'P^""'  'i««'se 
Missouri  River.  *  ""'^  ^ith  the  Indians  on  the 

-^y^^::7:>::"Ll:!Zr''^  -  Sp^n  her  tern. 
--  as  yet  established  there       ,''''  7  '"P""'^'"  -«>ority 
mom  of  the  principal  inhlbi  a n"'    f  T?'  "''«'  *«  ""e 
S  •  Ange  assumed  the  funct.o,     ^f       vf'  ^°"'^'  '^"P"''" 
H.S  acts  were  approved  by  lu  ^  LT      I  """"'-"da-t. 
general  and  he  continued  to    xer'c  so  t!'';''!  ™"""''"<iant- 
»"t.l  May  20,  1770,  when  he  was      r       ."""-'^  "^ '''^  ""iee 
governor  Don  Pedro  Pier  a    th?fi    fl"""^  ^^  I^ieutenant- 
of  the  district.     After  tSt  A„:f  ^P""?''  «»"""-.dant 

!!!^.™ent  Of  Louisi!,:a,tifh  tC  s^r  r^'rcj! 

chand,«,„g.     On  August  H    r^,    l     ',  ?    ''"^^'^^^^  extensively  in  L 
Hrrived  on  the  Sri  »f  m        '  ^  P''««'^«'ed  to  Fort  Chll'r         f       ^''"'"^ 

^See"  History  of  St.  Louis  City  and  Col^'^  f^y  ^^'  »>•«  men  to  work  !-' 

25  .  * 


386 


Illinois  Under  British  Domination. 


tain  as  he  had  before  held  under  the  French,  but  on  litilt 
pay.*  It  has  been  affirmed  that  he  returned  to  Fort  Cliar- 
tres,  after  the  asserted  death  of  Captain  Stirling,  and  that, 
on  the  solicitation  of  the  English,  he  again  exercised  com- 
mand there  for  a  short  time;  but  this  story  is  wanting  in 
proof  and  i)robability. 

It  was  in  April,  1769,  -"vhile  still  commanding  at  St. 
Louis,  that  St.  Ange  received  an  unexpected  visit  from 
Pontiac,  who  had  been  living  for  three  years  in  sullen  re- 
tirement on  the  river  Maumee,  but  was  now  come  on  some 
unexplained  yet  suspicious  mission  to  the  Illinois.  The 
Indian  chieftain  appeared  at  the  head-quarters  of  the 
French  commandant  arrayed  in  the  uniform  which  had 
been  given  to  him  by  General  Montcalm  in  1759,  and 
which,  it  is  said,  he  never  wore  except  on  occasions  of  cere- 
mony. After  being  hospitably  entertained  at  St.  Louis  for 
several  days,  Pontiac,  contrary  to  the  advice  of  St.  Ange 
and  others  of  the  French  inhabitants,  who  warned  him  of 
the  danger  he  was  incurring,  re-crossed  the  Mississippi, 
with  a  few  of  his  personal  adherents,  to  attend  a  social 
gathering,  or  pow-wow,  of  the  Indians  at  Cahokia.  Upon 
arriving  thither,  he  found  them  engaged  in  a  drinking- 
bout,  and,  with  his  fondness  for  liquor,  soon  became  drunk 
himself.  The  noisy  meeting  broke  up  late  at  night,  when 
he  started  with  some  friends  down  the  long  village  street, 
and  on  the  way  was  heard  singing  medicine  songs,  in  the 
mystic  virtues  of  which  he  seems  to  have  reposed  implicit 
confidence. 

The  visit  of  this  redoubtable  chief  to  the  Illinois  was 
regarded  with  great  distrust  by  the  few  English  residents 
of  the  country,  who  justly  dreaded  his  power  for  evil  over 
the  minds  of  his  fellow  red  men.  At  this  time,  it  appears, 
there  was  in  Cahokia  an  English  trader  named  Williamson, 
who  determined  to  avail   himself  of  the  opportunity  pre- 

*  St.  Ange  de  Bellerive  died  at  the  house  of  Madame  Chouteau,  in  St. 
Louis,  on  the  evening  of  December  26,  1774  (having  executed  his  last 
will  on  the  same  day),  and  was  buried  tliere  in  the  parish  cemetery. 
He  had  attained  the  ripe  old  age  of  about  seventy-four  years.  See  Bil- 
lon's "Annals  of  St.  Louis,"  p.  128. 


Ponfiae's  Last  Visit  and  Death  in  the  Illinois. 


387 


t  Cb ar- 
id tViat, 
ed  com- 
itint?  i'» 

V  at  St. 

sit  from 

u\len  re- 
ow  some 

ois.     The 

,g   of   the 

rhicli  ba«l 

1759,  and 

118  of  cere- 

,.  Louift  for 

f  St.  Ange 

ned  \^ya\  of 

Mississippi 

[^d  a  social 
:ia.     Upon 
.  drinking- 
janie  drunk 
piglit,  when 
.lage  street, 
|ong8,  in  the 
ied  inipl^eit 

I  Illinois  was 
Ish  residentfl 
for  evil  over 
L  it  appears, 
IWiUianison, 
U'tunity  pre- 

'houteau.m^t. 
lecuted  hiB  last 
^riBli  cemetery, 
.ears.  .  See  Bil- 


sented  to  effect  \\\a  deHtniction.  For  this  sinister  purpose, 
he  bribed  a  vagrant  Indian  of  the  Kaskaskia  tribe,  for  a 
barrel  of  liquor  and  tlie  promise  of  furtlier  reward,  to  take 
Pontiac's  life.  The  hired  assassin  accordingly  followed  the 
inebriated  chief  into  the  forest,  and,  gliding  silently  up  be- 
hind him,  stabbed  him  to  the  heart.  Thus  ingloriously 
ended  the  notable  career  of  the  veteran  Pontiac,  whose  ex- 
traordinary ability  as  a  leader  and  organizer  of  the  red  men, 
his  strategy  and  auda(!ity  in  war,  rendered  him  the  terror 
of  the  English,  and  the  typical  hero  of  his  race.  When 
informed  of  this  tragical  occurrence,  which  created  wild 
excitement  in  Cahokia,  Captain  St.  Ange,  mindful  of  his 
former  friendship  for  the  fallen  chief,  caused  his  ])ody  to  be 
shrouded  and  brought  to  St.  Louis,  where  it  was  interred 
with  the  honors  of  war,  near  the  intersection  of  Walnut 
and  Fourth  streets.  No  mound  nor  tablet  marks  his  for- 
gotten grave,  but  his  deeds  are  written,  and  his  name  is 
enduringly  preserved  in  that  of  a  thriving  town  in  Illinois. 
Pontiac  left  several  children,  among  whom  were  two  sons 
of  note  in  their  tribe.'^ 

The  uufortuiuite  killing  of  Pontiac — unfortunate  if  he 
was  not  seeking  to  stir  up  another  race  war  with  the  En- 
glish— aroused  intense  animosity  against  the  Illinois  Indians 
on  the  part  of  his  numerous  friends  and  followers  among 
the  more  northern  tribes.  It  was  the  occasion  of  a  re- 
newal of  hostilities  between  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  and  the  Il- 
linois, in  which  the  latter  sustained  heavy  losses  and  were 
finally  driven  south  of  the  Illinois  river.  During  this  ex- 
terminating war,  and  about  the  year  1770,  tradition  says 
that  a  defeated  band  of  Illinois  warriors  took  refuge  on  the 
Rock  of  St.  Louis,  where,  after  a  protracted  siege,  they 
were  starved  into  submission  and  captured,  thus  giving  rise 
to  the  legend  of  the  "  Starved  Rock." 

Just  before  and  during  the  first  years  of  the  English 


*An  Ottawa  tradition  states  that  Pontiac  took  a  Kaskaskia  wife, 
with  whom  he  had  a  quarrel,  and  that  she  persuaded  her  two  brothers 
to  kill  him.  But  see  Parknuin's  "  History  of  the  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac" 
(4th  ed.,  18G8,  pp.  571,  572,  notes),  where  the  various  accounts  of  the 
great  Indian's  death  are  mentioned  and  discussed. 


388 


Illinois  Under  Brit?^h  Domination. 


domination,  there  was  a  large  exodus  of  the  French  inliab- 
itants  from  Illinois.  Such,  in  fact,  was  their  dislike  of 
British  rule  that  fully  one-third  of  the  population,  embrac- 
ing the  wealthier  and  more  influential  families,  removed, 
with  their  slaves  and  other  personal  eft'ects,  beyond  the 
Mississippi,  or  down  that  river  to  Natchez  and  New  Or- 
leans. Some  of  them  settled  at  Ste.  Genevieve,  while 
others,  after  the  example  set  by  St.  Ange,  took  up  their 
abode  in  the  village  of  St.  Louis,  which  had  now  become 
a  depot  for  the  fur  company  of  Louisiana.  From  the  im- 
petus thus  received,  as  well  as  from  its  pleasant  and  ad- 
vantageous situation  for  general  trade,  St.  Louis  soon 
outstripped  the  older  French  settlements  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  Mississippi.  Under  successive  mild  adminis- 
trations (French  and  Spanish),  the  village  quietly  grew  and 
flourished,  meeting  with  but  few  drawbacks,  saving  the  at- 
tack by  northern  Indians,  in  May,  1780,  the  destructive  in- 
undation in  1785,*  and  the  epidemic  of  1801.  It  was  not 
until  after  the  Indian  incursion  that  St.  Louis  was  stock- 
aded, and  a  regular  fortification  constructed  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  village.  In  1770  there  were  one  hundred 
wooden  and  fifteen  stone  buildings  in  the  place.  But  no 
church  edifice  existed  there  prior  to  the  year  1776,  except 
a  small  log  chapel  which  stood  upon  what  was  known  as 
the  Church  Block.  In  1794  the  garrison  and  government 
house,  situate  on  the  second  rise  or  bank  of  the  village,  was 
completed  and  occupied.  In  March,  1804,  when  the  govern- 
ment of  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi  was  transferred 
to  the  United  States,  the  number  of  houses  in  St.  Louis  had 
increased  to  one  hundred  and  thirty  of  wood,  and  fifty-one 
of  stone,  making  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  eighty-one,  of 
which  one  hundred  and  sixty  were  dwelling  houses.  These 
were  one  and  two  story  structures,  built  upon  the  first  bank 
of  the  river  with  little  or  no  pretensions  to  architectural 
embellishment.     The  population  of  the  place  was  then  rated 


♦The  unusual  inundation  of  1785  was  caused  by  the  annual  floods 
in  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers  occurring  together.  This  was 
known  as  L'annde  de»  grands  daux,  or  "the  year  of  tlie  great  waters" 


Early  Upbuilding  of  St.  Louis. 


389 


L  \nbab- 
aWke  of 
einbrac- 
emoved, 
^ond  the 
Hew  Or- 

up  their 

w  become 

a^  the  im- 

t  and  ad-        1 

.ouis   soon 

\ve  eastern 

d  adniinis- 

y  grew  and 

v\ng  the  at- 

^tructive  in- 
Itwas  not 

5  was  stock- 

,t  the  upper 

,ne  hundred 
ice.    But  no 
1776,  except 
as  known  as 
government 

|e  village,  was 
iiithegovern- 
ii8  transferred 
St.  Louis  had 
and  fifty-one 
[eighty-one,  of 
ouses.    These 
the  first  bank 
architectural 
as  then  rated 

the  aunual  floodB 
etber.    This  was 
Lot  -waters." 


at  nine  hundred  uiid  twenty-tivo  souls.*  French  influeace 
was  long  dominant  in  St.  Louis,  and  tended  to  retard  her 
early  development ;  but,  in  modern  years,  her  growth  and 
expansion  into  a  great  commercial  and  industrial  city  have 
been  something  phenomenal. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1765,  the  whole  number  of  in- 
habitants of  foreign  birth  or  lineage,  in  Illinois,  excludnig 
the  negro  slaves,  and  including  those  living  at  Post  Vincent 
on  the  Wabash,  did  not  much  exceed  two  thousand  persons ; 
and,  during  the  entire  [)cnod  of  British  possession,  the  in- 
flux of  alien  population  hardly  more  than  kept  pace  with 
the  outflow.  Scarcely  any  Englishmen,  other  than  the 
officers  and  troops  composing  the  small  garrisons,  a  few  en- 
terpiising  traders  and  some  favored  land  speculators,  were 
then  to  be  seen  in  the  Illinois,  and  no  Americans  came 
hither,  for  the  purpose  of  settlement,  until  after  the  con- 
quest of  the  country  by  Colonel  Clark.  All  the  settlements 
still  remained  essentially  French,  with  whom  ther^)  was  no 
taste  for  innovation  or  change.  But  the  blunt  and  sturdy 
Anglo-American  had  at  last  gained  a  firm  foot-hold  on  the 
banks  of  the  great  Father  of  Rivers,  and  a  new  type  of 
civilization,  instinct  with  energy,  enterprise  and  progress, 
was  about  to  be  introduced  into  the  broad  and  fertile  Valley 
of  the  Mississippi.! 

In  Captain  Pittman'c  valuable  work,  from  which  we 
have  repeatedly  quoted,  is  found  a  comprehensive  account 
of  the  Illinois  country  and  its  inhabitants,  with  sketches  in 
detail  of  the  several  French  posts  and  villages  situated 
therein,  as  personally  viewed  by  him  in  1766-7.  Pittman 
was  an  officer  of  the  British  Royal  Engineers,  and  was  first 
sent  out  with  a  regiment  to  Pensacola,  Florida,  in  1763. 
From  Pensacola  be  went  to  Mobile,  and  thence  to  New 
Orleans ;  after  which  he  passed  up  the  Mississippi,  stopping 
at  Natchez,  and  appears  to  have  reached  the  Illinois  early 
in  the  year  1766.  Returning  to  Florida,  he  thence  sailed 
for  England  in  1768.     His  book,  we  are  told,  was  originally 

*  Billon's  Annals  of  Early  St.  Louis. 

t  Davidson's  and  Stuve's  History,  Ist  ed.,  p.  163. 


390 


Illinois  Under  British  Domination. 


K  t 

Si 


%' 


written  at  the  request  and  for  the  use  of  the  Secretary  of 
State  for  the  Colonies.  It  contain?,  in  a  compact  form, 
much  useful  and  reliable  information  (nowhere  else  to  be 
found)  concerning  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  its  people  at 
that  transition  period.* 

Pittman  describes  the  country  of  the  Illinois  as  then 
"  bounded  by  the  Mississippi  on  the  west,  by  the  river  Illi- 
nois on  the  nortii,  by  tiie  rivers  Ouabache  and  Mianiis  on 
the  east,  and  by  the  Ohio  on  the  south."  Treating  of  the 
villages  seriatim,  and  beginning  with  Kaskaskia,  he  writes: 

"  The  village  of  Notre  Dame  de  Cascasquias  is  by  far  the 
most  considerable  settlement  in  the  countrv  of  the  Illinois, 
as  well  from  its  number  of  inhabitants  us  from  its  advan- 
tageous situation.  It  stands  on  the  side  of  a  small  river, 
which  is  about  eighty  yards  wide,  and  empties  itself  with 
a  gentle  current  into  the  Mississippi,  near  two  leagues  below 
the  village.  This  river  is  a  bocure  port  for  the  large  bateaux 
which  lie  so  close  to  its  banks  as  to  load  and  unload  with- 
out the  least  trouble,  and  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  there  is 
water  enough  for  tdem  to  come  up.  .  .  .  Another 
great  advantage  that  Cascasquias  receives  from  its  river  is 
the  facility  with  which  mills  for  corn  and  plank  may  be 
erected  on  it.  Mons.  Paget  was  the  tii'st  who  introduced 
water-mills  in  this  count!'y,  and  he  constructed  a  very  line 
one  on  the  river  Cascasquias,  which  was  both  for  grinding 
corn  and  sawing  boards;  it  lies  about  one  mile  from  the 
village.  The  mill  proved  fatal  to  him,  being  killed  as  he 
was  working  in  it  with  two  negroes,  by  a  party  of  Chero- 
kees,  in  1764. 

"The  principal  buildings  here  are  the  Church,!  and 
Jesuit's  House,  which  (latter)  has  a  small  chapel  adjoining 
it;  these,  as  well  as  some  other  houses  in  the  village,  arc 
built  of   stone,  and,  consideiing  this  part  of  the   world, 


*  Vkk  "The  Present  State  of  the  European  SetH'iments  on  the  Mis- 
Bissippi;  with  a  Gcof^raphical  Dosrription  of  tliat  Kiver,  illuHtrated  hy 
Plans  r.!i(l  DraujjhtB."  Uy  Captain  Pliilip  Pittman.  London,  1770. 
Quarto,  pp.  107. 

tTliobell  helon^fing  to  this  quaint  old  church  was  caHt  at  La  Ro- 
choUe,  France,  in  1741. 


Fittman's  Accoa.U  of  the  French  Settlements.         391 


cretary  of 
•act  U)':n\y 
else  to  be 

,18  as  then 
3  river  Uli- 
Miamis  on 
ting  of  the 
,  he  writes: 
is  by  far  the 
the  Illinois, 
1  its  advan- 

sniall  river, 
s  itself  with 
jagues  below 
arge  bateaux 
unload  with- 

year  there  is 
Another 
,m  its  river  is 
ilank  may  be 

o  ii\troduc'ed 

d  a  very  line 
tor  grinding 

|nile  from  the 
killed  as  he 

|rty  of  Chero- 

'Shnrch,!  and 
[pel  adjoining 
he  village,  are 
|)f  the   woritl, 

[(.nts  on  tho  Mis- 

>r,  illustratod  by 

London,  17"»^- 

caHt  at  La  1^*'" 


raake  a  very  good  appearance.  The  Jesuit's  plantation 
consisted  of  two  hundred  and  fort}'  arpents  (an  arpent  be- 
ing 85-100  of  an  acre)  of  cultivated  land,  a  very  good  stock 
of  cattle,  and  a  brewery ;  whicli  was  sold  by  the  French 
commandant,  after  the  country  was  ceded  to  the  English, 
for  the  Crown,  iri  consequence  of  the  suppression  of  the 
order.*  Mons.  (Jean  Bajstiste)  Beauvais  was  the  pur- 
chaser, who  is  the  richest  of  the  English  subjects  in  this 
country.  He  keeps  eighty  slaves  ;  he  furnished  eighty-six 
thousand  weight  of  tiour  to  the  king's  magazine,  which 
was  only  part  of  the  harvest  ho  reaped  u\  one  year.  Sixty- 
live  families  reside  in  this  village,  besides  merchants,  other 
casual  people,  and  slaves. 

"The  fort,  which  wu.-s  burnt  down  in  October,  176(3, 
stood  on  the  summit  of  a  high  rock  o{)posite  the  village, 
and  on  the  o[)posite  side  of  the  river.  It  was  an  oblong 
quadrangle,  of  which  the  extreme  polygon  measured  two 
liundred  and  ninety  by  two  hundred  and  fifty-one  feet.  It 
was  built  of  very  thick  square  tind>ers,  and  dovetailed  at 
tlie  angles.  An  ofHcer  and  twenty  soldiers  are  quartered 
in  the  villaire.  The  othcei'  y-overns  the  iidiabitants  under 
the  direction  of  the  commandant  at  Fort  Charti'cs.  Here 
are  also  two  companies  of  (French)  militia. 

•■' La  J*raii'ie  des  Roches  f  is  about  seventeen  (fifteen) 
miles  from  (/ascasquias.  It  is  a  small  village,  consisting  of 
twelve  dwelling  houses,  nil  of  which  are  iidiabited  by  as 
many  families.  Here  is  a  little  cluqtel,  formerly  a  chapel  of 
ease  to  the  chui'cli  at  Fort  Chartres.  The  iidiabitants  are 
very  industrioun,  and  raise  a  great  deal  of  corn  and  every 
kind  (»f  stock.     Tlie  village  is  two  miles  from  Fort  (^har- 

*  The  only  Jesuit  prii!Hl  iillowcU  to  reniain  in  the  niinois  wuh  Sebas- 
tian Louis  Meurin,  and  he  wa.s  required  to  sij^n  a  paper  obIigiitin<i;  him- 
Helf  not  to  acknowledKO  any  otlier  superior  than  that  of  the  Capuchins 
at  New  OrleauK.  (Siiea's  "Catliolie  Church  in  Old  Colonial  Days.") 
Father  Meurin  died  al  I'rairie  thi  Itoiher  iu  177S.  lie  was  a  learned 
man  and  faitliful  inisKionary,  who  left  in  tnanuHcript  a  large  dictionary 
of  the  Indian  and  French  languages. 

t  Prairie  du  Ilocher  is  the  only  one  of  these  old  French  villages  that 
has  continued  to  llourish  until  the  present  day,  in  1800,  according  to 
the  United  States  census,  it  contained  a  population  of  108  bouIb. 


"ftSim^ 


392 


Illinois  Under  British  Domination. 


tres.  It  takeH  its  name  from  itH  situation,  being  built  under 
a  rock  that  runs  parallel  with  tlie  river  Mississippi,  at  a 
league  distance,  for  forty  miles  up.  Here  is  a  company  of 
militia,  the  captain  of  which  regulates  the  police  of  the 
village." 

After  giving  a  particular  description  of  Fort  Chartres,f 
Pittman's  account  continues :  "  In  the  year  1764,  there  were 
about  forty  i'amilies  in  the  village  near  the  fort,  and  a  par- 
ish church  served  l)y  a  Franciscan  friar,  dedicated  to  St. 
Anne.  In  the  following  year,  when  the  English  took  pos- 
session of  the  country,  they  abandoned  their  houses  and 
settled  at  the  village  on  the  west  de  of  the  Mississippi, 
choosing  to  continue  under  the  J'rench  government. 

"Saint  Pliillippe  is  a  small  village  about  five  miles 
from  Fort  Ohartres,  on  the  road  to  Kaoquias.  There  are 
about  sixteen  houses  and  a  small  church  standing;  all  the 
inhabitants,  except  the  captain  of  the  militia,  deserted  it 
in  1765,  and  went  to  the  French  side  (Missouri).  The  cap- 
tain of  the  militia  has  about  twenty  slaves,  a  good  stock  of 
cattle,  and  a  water-mill  for  corn  and  planks.  This  village 
stands  on  a  very  fine  meadow,  about  one  mile  from  the 
Mississippi. 

"  The  village  of  Saint  Famille  de  Kaoquias  (Cahokia) 
is  generally  reckoned  fifteen  leagues  from  Fort  Chartres, 
and  six  leagues  below  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri.  It  stands 
near  the  side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  is  marked  from  the 
river  by  an  island  (Duncan's)  two  leagues  long.  The  vil- 
lage is  opposite  the  center  of  this  island;  it  is  long  and 
straggling,  being  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  one  end  to  the 
other.  It  contains  forty-five  dwelling  houses,  and  a  church 
near  the  center.  The  situation  is  not  well  chosen,  as  in 
the  floods  it  is  generally  overflowed  two  ov  three  feet  deep. 
This  was  the  first  settlement  on  the  Mississippi.  The  land 
was  purchased  of  the  savages  by  a  few  Canadians,  some  of 
whom  married  women  of  the  Kaocjuias  nation,  and  others 
brought  wives  from  Canada,  and  then  resided  tb.ere,  leaving 
tlieir  children  to  succeed  them.     The  inhabitants  of  this 


*See  ante.  Chapter  XVI.,  p.  :il4. 


Pittman's  Account  of  the  French  Settlements.         393 


t  under 
pi,  at  a 
ipauy  of 

3    of  tllG 

liartreH,t 
tere  were 
d  a  par- 
ed to  St. 
took  po8- 
)U8e8  and 
Assissippi, 

int. 

iive  tnileft 
There  are 
;g ;  all  the 
ieaerted  it 
The  oap- 
od  stock  of 
'his  village 
from  the 

L  (Cahokia) 
ft  Chartres, 
It  BtandB 
Id  from  the 
The  vil- 
U  long  and 
lo  end  to  the 
lid  a  church 
losen,  art  in 
|e  feet  deep. 
The  land 
|urt,  ftotne  of 
and  others 
fere,  leaving 
Lutfl  of  this 


place  depend 


and  their  Indian  trade  than 


more  on  li anting 
on  agriculture,  as  they  scarcely  raise  corn  enough  for  their 
own  consumption :  they  have  great  plenty  of  poultry,  and 
good  stocks  of  liorned  cattle. 

"  The  mission  of  St.  Sulpicc  had  a  very  fine  plantation 
here,  and  an  excellent  house  built  on  it.  They  sold  this 
estate,  and  a  very  good  mill  for  corn  and  planks,  to  a 
Frenchman  (M.  Gerardine),  who  chose  co  remain  under  the 
English  government.  They  also  disposed  of  thirty  negroes 
and  a  good  stoclc  of  cattle  to  different  people  in  the  coun- 
try, and  returned  to  France  in  1764.  What  is  called  the 
fort,  is  a  small  house  standing  in  the  C3uter  of  the  village. 
It  differs  nothing  from  the  other  houses,  except  in  being  one 
of  the  ;joorest.  It  was  formerly  inclosed  with  high  pali- 
sades, but  these  were  torn  down  and  burnt.  Indeed,  a  fort 
at  this  place  could  be  of  little  use."  * 

Concerning  the  soil,  products,  commerce,  and  aborigi- 
nes of  the  country,  Pittman  says : 

"  The  soil  of  this  country,  in  general,  is  very  rich  and 
luxuriant ;  it  produces  all  kinds  of  European  grains,  hops, 
hemp,  flax,  cotton,  and  tobacco,  and  European  fruits  come 
to  great  perfection.  The  inhabitants  make  wine  of  the 
wild  grapes,  wlilch  is  very  inebriating,  and  is,  in  color  and 
taste,  very  like  the  red  wine  of  Provence. 

"  In  the  late  wars.  New  Orleans  and  the  lower  parts  of 
Louisiana  were  supplied  with  flour,  beef  wines,  hams,  and 
other  provisions  from  this  country.  At  present,  its  com- 
merce is  mostly  confined  to  the  peltry  and  furs,  which  are 
got  in  traffic  from  the  Indians ;  for  which  are  received  in 
return  such  European  commodities  as  are  necessary  to  carry 
on  that  commenje  and  the  support  of  the  inhabitants. 


*  "  The  old  fort  hiiH  long  since  disappeared  ;  no  vcstij^o  of  it  can  now 
be  Been.  The  church  still  stands,  and  is  prooably  the  oldest  houso  of 
worship  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  Th(>  village,  insteiii  of 
being  '  near  the  side  of  the  Mississippi,'  is  nearly  a  mile  to  the  east  of 
it.  This  change  was  mainly  wrouglit  by  the  general  floo('  of  1844."- 
History  of  St.  Clair  Co.,  III.,  1881,  p  827.  "The  old  cov;rt-hou8e  was 
built  (by  the  Americans)  in  1795,  or  thereabouts,  at  which  time  Cahokia 
became  the  county  seat.  In  181 4  the  county  seat  was  removed  to  Belle- 
ville."—Ibid.,  p.  :i2i). 


394 


Illinois  Under  British  Domination. 


"  The  principal  Indian  nations  in  this  country  are  the 
Cascasquias,  Kahoquias,  Mitcliigamias,  and  Peoyas ;  these 
four  tribes  are  generally  called  the  Illinois  Indians.  Except 
in  hunting  seasons,  they  reside  near  the  English  settlements 
in  this  country.  They  are  a  poor,  debauched  and  dastardly 
people.  They  count  about  three  hundred  and  iifty  warriors. 
The  Panquiclias(Pianka8haw8),Ma&coutin8,  Miarnies,  Kick- 
apous,  juid  Pyatonons,  though  not  very  numerous,  are  brave 
and  wiM-like  people." 

With  regard  to  tlie  Camlet  of  Prairie  du  Pont,  of 
which  I'ittman  makes  no  mention,  Reynolds  gives  us  this 
information : 

"The  village  of  Prairie  du  Pont  was  settled  by  emi- 
grants from  the  other  French  villages,  in  the  year  1760, 
and  was  a  prosperous  settlement.  It  is  stated  that  this  vil- 
lage, in  the  year  1765,  contained  fourteen  famil'cs.  They 
had  their  common  field  and  commons,  which  were  (!on- 
firmed  to  them  by  the  government  of  the  United  States. 
This  village  is  situated  about  one  mile  south  of  Cahokia, 
and  extended  south  from  the  creek  of  the  same  name  for 
some  distance.     It  is  a  kind  of  suburb  to  Cahokia."* 

In  order  to  further  illustrate  the  history  of  the  French 
Hottlements  in  Illinois,  it  is  now  requisite  to  give  a  succinct 
narration  of  the  English  rule  over  them.  Captain  Thomas 
Stirling  began  the  military  government  of  the  country  on 
October  10,  1765,  with  fair  and  libersil  concessions,  calcu- 
lated to  secure  the  good-will  and  loyalty  of  the  French- 
(Janadians,  and  to  .stay  their  further  exodus;  but  his  ad- 
ministration was  not  of  long  duration.!  On  the  4th  of  the 
ensuing  December,  he  was  succeeded  by  Major  Robert 
Farmer,  who  had  arrived  from  Mobile  with  a  detachment 
of  the  34th   British  infantry.     In  the  following  year,  after 


'Reynold'H  Pioneer  History,  second  edition,  p.  07. 

tit  nppearB  that  Captain  Stirling  did  not  die  while  in  command  at 
Fort  Cliartrofl,  as  related  by  the  earlier  historians  of  Illinois.  On  the 
(•ontrary,  he  afterward  fonght  his  way  up  to  a  brigadier-generalship  in 
the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  limilly  died  in  England,  in  1808,  a  bar' 
onet  nn(i  a  general  of  high  rank. — Moses'  History  of  Illinois  (Chicago, 
1889),  Vol.  I.,  p.  137;  New  York  Colonial  Docs.,  VII.,  786,  note. 


Successive  English  Commandants  in  Illinois.  395 


xre  the 
•  these 
Except 
[ements 
istardly 
warriors. 
,a,  Kick- 
,re  hrave 

Pont,  of 
;s  US  this 

I  by  enii- 
rear  1760, 
it  this  vil- 
es.     They 
were  con- 
ted  States. 
f  Cahokia, 
e  name  for 

Ja."* 

[the  "French 
a  succinct 
\u  Thomas 
co\intry  on 
lions,  calcu- 
ae  l^rench- 
jut  his  ad- 
^  4th  of  the 
ijor  llobert 
[detacbment 
year,  after 


III  conuniind  at 
]noiB.    On  the 

lin  180H,  abar- 
InoiH  (Chicago, 
I,  note. 


exercising  an  arbitrary  authority  over  these  isoUited  and 
feeble  settlements,  Major  Farmer  was  displaced  by  Colonel 
Edward  Cole,  who  had  commanded  a  regiment  under 
Wolfe,  at  Quebec.  Colonel  Cole  remained  in  command  at 
Fort  Chartres  about  eighteen  months ;  but  the  position 
was  not  congenial  to  him.  The  climate  was  unfavorable  to 
his  health,  and  the  privations  of  life  at  a  frontier  post  in- 
creased his  discontent.  He  was  accordingly  relieved  at  his 
own  request,  early  in  the  year  1768.*  Ilia  successor  was 
Colonel  Johii  Reed,  who  proved  a  bad  exchange  for  the 
poor  colonists.  He  soon  became  so  notorious  for  his  mili- 
tary oppressions  of  the  j)eo})le  that  he  was  removed,  and 
gave  place  to  LlGutenant-Colonel  John  Wilkins,  of  the 
18th,  or  royal  regiment  of  Ireland,  who  had  formerly  com- 
manded at  Fort  Niagara. 

Colonel  Wilkins  arrived  from  Philadelphia  and  as- 
sumed the  command  September  5,  1768.  He  brought  out 
with  him  seven  companies  of  his  regimeiit  for  garrison 
duty ;  but  many  of  these  soldiers  succumbed  to  the  mala- 
rious diseases  of  the  country.  Having  been  authorized  by 
General  Gage  to  institute  a  court  of  justice  in  Illinois  for 
the  civil  administration  of  the  laws,  Wilkins  issued  his 
proclamation  to  that  effect  on  the  21st  of  November.  He 
next  appointed  seven  nuigistrates  or  judges,  who  were  to 
form  a  court,  and  to  hold  monthly  sessions  for  the  trial  and 
adjudication  of  all  controversies  arising  among  the  people 
in  relation  to  debts  or  property.  The  tirst  term  of  this 
honorable  court  was  convened  at  Fort  Chartres,  December 
6,  1768.  It  was  the  first  court  of  common  law  jurisdiction 
established  in  the  Mississipjti  Valley;  and,  although  called 
by  courtesy  a  common  law  court,  it  was,  in  fact,  a  very 
nondescript  ti'ibunal. 

"  It  was  a  court  of  first  and  last  resort ;  no  appeal  lay 
from  it.  It  was  the  highest  as  well  as  the  lowest,  the  oidy 
court  in  the  country.  It  proved  any  thing  but  pojmlar,  and 
it  is  just  possible  that  the  worthy  judges  themselves,  taken 
from  among  the  people,  nuiy  not  have  been  the  most  en- 


♦Mobob'  IliBtory  of  111.,  Vol.  I.,  p.  188. 


396 


Illinois  Under  British  Domination. 


lightened  exponents  of  the  law.  The  people  were  under 
the  laws  of  England,  but  the  trial  by  jury — that  great  bul- 
wark of  the  subject's  right,  coeval  with  the  common  law 
and  reiterated  in  the  British  constitution — the  French  mind 
was  unable  to  appreciate,  i)articularly  in  civil  trials.  They 
thought  it  very  inconsistent  that  the  English  should  refer 
nice  questions  relating  to  the  rights  of  property  to  a  tribu- 
nal composed  of  tailors,  shoemakers,  or  other  artisans  and 
trades-people,  for  determination,  rather  than  to  judges 
learned  in  the  law.  While  thus,  under  the  English  admin- 
istration, civil  jurisprudence  was  sought  to  be  brought 
nearer  to  the  people,  it  failed,  because,  owing  to  the  teach- 
ings, and  perhaps  genius  of  the  French  mind,  it  could  not 
be  made  of  the  people, 

"  For  nearly  ninety  years  had  these  settlements  been 
ruled  by  the  dicta  and  decisions  of  theocratic  and  military 
tribunals,  absolute  in  both  civil  and  criminal  cases;  but  as 
may  well  be  imagined,  in  a  post  so  remote,  where  there  was 
neither  wealth,  culture,  nor  fashion,  all  incentives  to  oppress 
■♦:he  colony  remained  dormant,  and  the  extraordinary  powers 
of  the  priests  and  commandants  were  (general'^')  exercised 
in  a  patriarchal  spirit,  wliich  gained  the  love  and  implicit 
confidence  of  the  people.  Believing  that  their  rulers  were 
ever  right,  they  gave  themselves  no  trouble  or  pains  to  re- 
view their  acts.  Indeed,  many  years  later,  when  Illinois 
had  passed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  the 
perplexed  inhabitants,  unable  to  comi>i'chend  the  to  them 
complicated  machinery  of  republicanism,  begged  to  be  de- 
livered from  the  intolerable  burden  of  self-government, 
and  again  subjected  to  the  will  of  a  military  command- 
ant."* 

Subsequent  to  the  treaty  of  T^aris,  on  October  7,  1763, 
Goorge  III.,  King  of  Great  Britain,  issued  his  proclama- 
tion for  the  government  of  the  country  wrested  from  France 
in  America,  and  dividing  it  into  four  provinces.  In  this 
proclamation  he  |)rohibited  his  subjects  from  ''making  any 
purchases  or  settlements  whatever,  or  taking  possession  ot 


•Davidson  &  Stuve's  Hist.  111.,  Ist  ed.,  p.  165. 


^'''"^^^lin,  of  Ike  English  eovemmenl. 


"■"y  of  the  wild  lands  beyond   th. 
21-  "-hieh  fall  into  the  i^Lie  or'""?  "'  ""^  "''  "- 
north-west."     The  object  of    .  ,,"!''!"  *™'"  ">«  'vest  or 

«-  vast  and  ""cultiva  ed  rtioro;t    w"  "''"  *"  ^^-ve 
ground  for  the  use  of  the  iT,  "  ^^  '^*"  "*'  "  ''""tinff- 

of  the  great  lakes,  to  n kl  V  '^''"'  "'"''  ''>■  *e  navigat  o^„ 
"■ade  Within  Engl'is  'eo,  t,  "''t:""™'?-  «"•  »"d  pel  ^ 
government  tl.enlas  to  eo  fi ,«  th  'f  "1-7  '"'  "'<*  ^"'"e 
At  ant,o  slope,  within  easy  reael  of ^,  "  ^'^  7'"'"'^'  '»  «"« 
which  would  be  more  comW       /  '^^"«^'''''>  'I'ippih,, 

whereas  the  granting  of Zll       r  "  'T'"  '"'"  -n,merJ:.' 
;nterior  would  tend^o  .'"f;,';';:  "','"■'''  '"  "^  -'"<>«e 

;trictive  policy  o;:,:,r:r,'ent""  fr-^  '""■'•"-  ■-  - 

forced.     Indeed,  one  tf  t be  ''^  ""'  ^^  «Wctlj  en-     ' 

Colonel    VViIki,,  .  adn.i,  ist  .  ti    ^''  '""'''''"'  fe-tnres  of 
;^.--f  ''0  parceled  ,:::'C;!'  I,',.;-  ''^   "l-oralit,  with 
*h'ch  he  ruled  to  his  fav,^  ,e '  t    r,f  *'"'  ''""""■>  over 
and  elsewhere,  without  otle    et,.   '       T"'  '''"'''"elpWa, 
thorn  to  re-convey  to  him  a  ccrf^       "•:"""  "'""  '''^""''g 
Bj  the  aforesaid  prodan.at  on"     th,"'^°^*'^'  "'  the  same^ 
purchasing  of  lands  from  the  In d         •    ^"^'  "'"  '""^"'K  or 
can  colonies  was  strictly  fobi<^^nH  ""^  "'  ">^  A.^eri- 
«;on  being  first  had  and'^olX'  1^'  .T"  '°'>t-Pecial  permis- 
Colonel  Wilkins,  and  some  If  bi  T  ""'^  P'-"'>iWtio„, 

treated  the  lands  of  the  French  1  ^    '■'"""''  ">  o^ee 
feted,  and   granted   them   awa>    Tr^,'^ 
never  received  the  sanction  ofThe  K       '"''   "-""'"etione 
or  judicial  act  did  their  proit  V  be    ^'^'  ""''  ^^  ""  "'^"1 
British  crown.*  '     '     *^  '"'eome  escheated  to  the 

lieutenant  Colonel  Wilkin^'  „ 
country  eventually  became  m    „ ^7'"'"?"'  "'  «'«  Ulinoi, 
:;::  P'-«f^'-^«'  4.in»t  hll    •  I  it"'"''  r-«e  charges 
o  the  public  funds.     ,f«  asl^^d  fo  t      1  ""^PPropriation  , 

^™«^he  was  able  to^t^t^urS:: 


" '"^''"""'' **-•««'«'.'".,  1st  ed.,  p.  ,«,. 


398 


Illinois  Under  British  Domination. 


But  he  was  deposed  from  office  in  September,  1771,  and 
sailed  for  Europe  in  July  of  the  following  year.* 

Captain  Hugh  Lord,  of  the  18th  regiment,  became 
Wilkins'  successor  at  Fort  Chartres,  and  continued  in  com- 
mund  until  the  year  1775.  It  was  during  his  incumbency, 
in  the  spring  of  1772,  that  the  great  freshet  occurred  in  the 
Mississippi,  which  undermined  and  partly  destroyed  th 
fortress,  so  that  it  was  abandoned.  The  seat  of  the  local 
government  was  then  removed  to  Kaskaskia,  and  the  gar- 
rison took  up  their  quarters  at  the  old  fort  on  the  rocky 
hill  or  bluff,  over  against  the  town.  This  fort,  as  herein 
before  stated,  had  been  destroyed  by  fire  in  1766,  but  it  was 
now  repaired  or  reconstructed,  and  was  named  Fort  Gage, 
in  token  of  respect  to  the  British  comnuinder-in-chief  in 
America.  At  this  time  the  liritish  garrison  here  was  quite 
small,  comprising,  it  is  said,  only  twenty  men  and  one  com- 
missioned officer,  though  there  were  two  companies  of  mili- 
tia in  Kaskaskia  village. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  1774,  Parliament  passed  an  act 
enlarging  and  extending  the  province  of  Quebec  to  the 
Mississippi  River,  so  as  to  include  the  territory  of  the 
Northwest ;  restoring  to  the  people  of  Canada  their  ancient 
laws  in  civil  cases;  guaranteeing  the  free  exerciee  of  their 
religion,  and  rehabilitating  the  Ronuin  Catholic  clergy 
with  the  privileges  stipulated  in  the  articles  of  capitulation 
at  Montreal  in  1760.  This  act  was  popularly  known  as  the 
"  Quebec  Bill."  It  was  intended  not  only  to  conciliate  the 
French  inhabitants  of  Canada,  and  to  firmly  attach  them 
to  the  English  crown,  but  to  counteract  the  growing  oppo- 
sition to  the  home  government  in  the  American  colonies 
on  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  The  measure  was  a  master 
strok"!  of  policy  on  the  part  of  the  British  ministry,  since 
it  allayed  disafitection,  and  tended  to  prevent  the  revolt  of 
the  Canadian  provinces  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 

Who  was  the  immediate  successor  of  Captain  Lord 
in  command  of  the  Illinois,  is  not  positively  determined. 
It  appears  from  a  letter  written  by  Governor  Haldiraand 


♦Moses'  Hist,  of  111.,  Vol.  I.,  p.  141. 


''■"«-!>^A-«:*4tSi  .. 


,  1771,  and 

nt,  became 
led  in  com- 
icumbency, 
irred  in  the 
itroyed  th^ 
>f  the  local 
id  the  gar- 
1  the  rocky 
t,  as  herein 
,  but  it  was 
Fort  Gage, 
-in-chief  in 
•e  was  quite 
id  one  corn- 
lies  of  mili- 

ased  an  act 
bee  to  the 
:ory  of  the 
heir  ancient 
;iee  of  their 
lolic  clergy 
capitulation 
lown  us  the 
nciliate  the 
ittach  them 
►wing  oppo- 
!an  colonies 
8  a  master 
tiistry,  since 
he  revolt  of 
i>lution. 
ptain  Lord 
determined. 
Haldiraand 


Kennedy',  Ri,,,  y^^^^ 


^eutena„t-oo„.„,a„,::f  :^  Ztu  ^'"^'"^  ""  ^o"""-  - 
May,  1781;  but  wo  are  ro  tinfe'"/''"'"  "ay,  1775,  to 
offi-r  v.a«  stationed,  or  Xt  ttT  K  "'  '°  ^'"'''  '''='' 
thau  to  draw  his  pav  *  '"''""''  ^^  Performed  other 

Pape"  'VLr;vtT;he'r„  t  "  t™"-  '^'^'^'^ 
that  Philippe  Francoi,  de  Ba«t  r'^^'r''^"^  "'  Ottawa), 
command  of  the  British  at  th!t!'  ''*'  ^^^''^Wavo  was  i 
as  Oetober,  1776,  and  hat  h  /  """  Kaskaskia  as  early 
waa  approved  by  his  I  ^l  rSir  of  "  ^'T"  -'™anda„^ 
blave  was  a  native  of  n»„  'i    '  "^  Carleton.*    Roche 

the  French  service,    uS:'h'e  T"  ';'  ''^''"  ="'  "^-^t 
O'-eat  Britain  he  changed  his  an!'"  "'  ""  -^"""'O-  to 
P^moted.     He  resided" for  m  .,?!?"""''  "'"*  '''''•  «'"  ^as 
was  married  there  in  Apri    VS.    ^""V"  ^^'"'kaskia,  and 
records.  f  '^"'  "•'3,  as  ,s  shown  by  the  parish 

the  journal  of  a  river  Voyatl    "  ^    ',  '"  '™^' '«  ™"'ai»ed 
"edy,  with  several  ™«„««l:,""'     ";  «'-  Patrick  Ken- 
'■■om  Easkaskia  village  to  tte  t   'J    "'"  ■""""""■  "*'  3  773 
?»  search  of  copper  X       F  om  «  """'"•^  '"  *'''  I""--.' 
ng  journal,  we  condense  the  s«w5    r"™™  "'"'  ''"erest- 

-- -N»""-  and  o/tVe"tr::i,rrdt --, 

of  the  Missouri.    S, t,  l' ^'''<'.^-^°-  'he  juu!tit 
on  the.r  right,  the  heavil/ 1  f.beref  X'"'';''' "'^^  ""^^'^d, 
ar  as  to  the  site  of  the  presen    A  U    "^'""""a"  I^ottom  aa 
he  chain  of  rugged  rocks'   .d  1^1.;'  "r  f'""'"  *'"«1 
the  ftasa  Bluffs  and  extends  to  and  f' "''?''  '"S"'"  ^elow 

l^^ljM-'ois.     On  quitting   tteM-r       ""^  """*'""'"«'' 

— — __  ng   the   M,ee,88.ppi   and   eater- 

Mose's  HiHfo«,  „*  r,.    ,.  . 


V"il| 


M08e'«  History  of  III.,  Vol.  I.,  p.  142. 


400 


Illinois  Under  British  Domination. 


ing  the  Illinois,  they  found  the  latter  river  bo  low  and  its 
borders  so  full  of  weeds  and  bushes  that  their  progress  was 
much  impeded,  and  they  were  obliged  to  row  their  boat  in 
the  deeper  water  of  the  channel.  The  banks  are  depicted 
by  Kennedy  as  low  on  both  sides;  the  course  of  the  stream 
as  N.,  N.  Vj.',  and  the  bottom  land  as  being  well  timbered 
with  pecan,  maple,  ash,  button-wood,  etc.*  "  There  are 
fine  meadows,"  he  tells  us,  "at  a  little  distance  from  the 
river,  the  banks  of  which  do  not  crumble  away  as  do  those 
of  the  Mississippi." 

On  the  first  day  of  August,  after  passing  the  mouth 
of  the  Macoupin,  or  White  Potatoe  Creek,  the  voyagers 
stopped  to  refresh  themselves  at  an  old  wintering  ground 
of  the  Peorias.  In  this  lower  part  of  the  river,  they  en- 
countered several  small  islands,  and  saw  many  bufl['alo  and 
deer  feeding.  On  the  following  day  they  passed  an  island 
called  Pierre  d  Fleche,  which  had  its  name  from  a  large  hill 
on  the  west  side  of  the  stream,  where  the  Indians  procured 
the  stone  from  which  they  chipped  their  arrow-heads  and 
gun  fliui-s.  On  the  4th  our  voyagers  passed  the  mouth  of 
the  Sangamo,  or  Sangamon  River,f  putting  in  from  the 
east,  and  on  the  7th  they  reached  the  southern  extremity 
of  Peoria  Lake;  concerning  which,  and  the  remains  of  the 
fort  then  standing  there,  Kennedy's  Journal  says: 

"  The  morning  being  foggy,  and  the  river  overgrowr>. 
with  weeds  along  its  sides,  we  could  make  but  little  (head) 
way.  About  twelve  o'clock  we  got  to  the  old  Peoria  fort 
and  village,  on  the  western  shore  of  the  river,  and  at  the 


*  "  The  kinds  of  timber  most  abundant  (in  Illinois)  are  oaks  of 
various  species,  black  and  white  walnut,  ash  of  several  kinds,  elm,  sugar- 
maple,  honey-locust,  hackberry,  linden,  hickory,  cotton-wood,  pecan, 
mulberry,  buckeye,  sycamore,  wild-cherry,  box-elder,  sassafras,  and  per- 
simmon. Tn  the  southern  and  eastern  parts  of  the  state  are  yellow  pop- 
lar and  beech ;  near  the  Ohio  are  cypress,  and  in  several  counties  are 
clumps  of  yellow  pine  and  cedar.  The  undergrowth  is  redbud,  papaw, 
sumach,  plum,  crab-apple,  grape-vines,  dogwood,  spice-bush,  green- 
brier,  hazel,  etc.  The  alluvial  soil  of  the  rivers  produces  cotton-wood 
and  sycamore  timber  of  amazing  size." — Peck's  Oazetteer  of  Illinois.       ' 

t  To  what  extent,  if  any,  the  Sangamon  was  ever  explored  by  the 
French  does  not  appear  of  record. 


low  and  its 
)rogre88  was 
heir  boat  in 
are  depicted 
f  the  stream 
i\\  timbered 
"  There  are 
C3e  from  the 

as  do  those 

the  mouth 
be  voyagers 
ring  ground 
'er,  they  en- 
buffalo  and 
id  an  island 
a  large  hill 
,n8  procured 
v^-heads  and 
he  mouth  of 
n  from  the 
•n  extremity 
riains  of  the 
ys: 

'  overgrown. 

little  (head) 

Peoria  fort 

,  and  at  the 

s)  are  oaks  of 
ids,  elm,  sugar- 
-wood,  pecan, 
afras,  and  per- 
re  yellow  pop- 
il  counties  are 
edbud,  papaw, 
B-bush,  green- 
es  cotton-wood 
/  Illinois. 
;plored  by  the 


Notice  of  Peoria  Village. 


stockadeof  th,-c  r>      •      ^^^P"b]e  current     \\r    v 
«ta„di„;*    Tr/""™.f"rt  d-troyed  by  fie  hi  1°"."''  ""• 
'S-      i  he  summ  t  on  wh-  .»,\i    ?        '  ""^  ^^^  ^iouses 

If;,  to  the  point  where  the  rive  '"^'^''"^'  "'"J  "P  the 

to  be  navigable.     A  mil      !        ^  ''"<'  ""^en  bed  a«  „{ 
f «  -apids  ia  the  im  "if ,:  ,7  ^'  t'-  voyage':',,::  'ed 

!!!:"  ""•'^-'■ve  ...iles  farther.     fLTn.  """'"'"''"'  ">^  '""d 
_  Waving  crossed  a  northern 

Tn  tlie  above  citati 

was  a  familiar  loopUf    ;    "^P^^'  ^l^e  southern  extra  J-.  ^'''^'"  the 

authentic  account  "^'^^  '"  *heir  wake     Th     '''^'^''''  ^^«  ^'^^li  as 

ity  until  I77rX     .T^ '""'^'""°"«  European  J^,^^^  '"'  '^'^^^^'-^''•,  no 

north-western  shte  0;'.,"'^  ^^  ^^  ^^"^^  ^'^^'r"'.  '"  ^^^'^  ^^-■- 
HypoliteMail  et  Who  •       '  '''^'-    ^*  *««k  its  natl  T  ^'^""  «"  '^e 

quently  chan«,P^  f    Tu  ^^'^  small  Frem-h   o  /  '^ '"^  bravery 

count  of  tef 't  ^'  "'''  ^"d^^"  Village  at  tho  f  ^'"^^"^  ^««  subse-' 
^•""y  efff  cted1,7^^:  !t^l^^:-^  othe?  J^^^^^  ^^/^e  lalce,  on  al 
of  Peoria.  (See  E^h'  '':'  ^"^  ^^e  new  villat^,,^'  "  ^''""^f^r  was 
was  destroyed  bvfr.   I  ^^'^^^^y  ^^  Peoria      1  n  ■'^"'^^  *^^  ^^me 

W  What  is  now  A  In  '^^T  '''"''  ^^-^ly  t::'  tt"ed  ^  "^^f  ^'" 
of  the  villim.  „  I  •  X.  '^^"^  »  wooden  for^  ».       "^"^tea  to  and  be- 

'818;  and  f„:'":^  "-  «""d  F„„  cCtnt  ZT"  "'  ""  »i^ 
26  'American  pioneers.  ^^^^  waa  per- 


402    . 


Illinois  Under  British  Domination. 


tributary  of  the  Illinois  called  the  Fox  River,  they  struck 
and  followed  a  trail  up  the  Illinois  to  an  island,  where 
some  Frencli  traders  were  found  en  camped.  The  latter, 
however,  could  give  Kennedy  no  information  in  regard  to 
the  copper  mine  he  was  seeking.  He  now  hired  one  of  the 
traders  to  take  himself  and  party  in  a  canoe  back  to  the 
place  where  they  had  left  their  boat.  From  thence,  on  the 
way  down  the  Illinois,  they  met  with  a  Frenchman  named 
Jeanette,  w)io  assisted  them  in  a  further  search  for  tlie 
mine;  but  Kennedy  finally  returned  to  Kaskaskia  without 
having  discovered  any  copper.  The  meeting  with  French- 
Canadians  on  this  expedition  showed  that  thoy  still  hunted 
and  trafficked  with  the  Indians  in  this  part  of  the  country.* 

In  1778,  when  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark,  and  his 
Virginia  militia,  numbering  less  than  two  liundred  men, 
achieved  the  bloodless  conquest  of  Illinois,  not  a  single 
British  soldier  was  found  doing  duty  in  the  country,  they 
having  all  been  withdrawn  to  other  and  more  important 
points.  M.  de  Rocheblave  was  still  in  command  for  the  En- 
glish at  Fort  Gage;  but, owing  to  his  contumacious  behavior, 
he  was  sent  a  prisoner  of  war  to  Virginia,  where  he  was  pa- 
roled and  afterward  broke  his  parole.  In  Kaskaskia  and 
Cahokia  the  French  militia  were  well  organized,  and  they 
were  utilized  by  Clark  f  in  maintaining  his  conquest. 

France  had  exercised  sovereignty  over  the  countr}'^  of 
the  Illinois  for  ninety-two  years,  commencing  with  the  dis- 
covery by  Joliet  and  Marquette,  in  1673,  and  ending  with 
the  surrender  of  Fort  Chartres,  in  1765.  The  actual  En- 
glish possession  lasted  but  thirteen  years,  or  fifteen  from 
the  treaty  of  Paris  in  1763  till  1778.  In  October  of  the 
latter  year,  the  Virginia  Legislature  erected  the  conquered 
territory  into  the  County  of  Illinois,  and  Colonel  John 
Todd,|  of  Kentucky,  was  appointed  lieutenant-commandant 

*  See  "  Description  of  Western  North  America,"  by  Captain  Gilbert 
Imlay:  3d  ed.,  London,  1797,  pp.  507-512. 

t  George  Rogers  Clark,  the  greatest  character  in  the  early  American 
history  of  Illinois,  was  born  in  Albemarle  county,  Virginia,  November 
19,  1752,  and  died,  unmarried,  near  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  February,  1818. 

X  Todd  was  subsequently  killed  at  the  battle  of  Blue  Licks,  Ky.,  in 
1782. 


n. 

3r,  they  struck 
island,  where 
I.     The  latter, 
n  in  res^ard  to 
red  one  of  the 
e  back  to  the 
thence,  on  the 
chniau  named 
earch  for  the 
;a8kia  without 
with  Frencii- 
ly  still  hunted 
the  country.* 
Jiark,  and  his 
lundred  men, 
not  a  single 
country,  they 
3re  important 
nd  for  the  En- 
ious  behavior, 
sre  he  was  pa- 
Laskaskia  and 
zed,  and  they 
•nquest, 
he  country  of 
•  with  the  dis- 
.  ending  with 
16  actual  En- 
r  fifteen  from 
'ctober  of  the 
he  conquered 
!;!olonel   John 
■commandant 

Captain  Gilbert 

early  American 
jinia,  November 
ebruary,  1818. 
le  Licks,  Ky.,  in 


states.  ^""■"■O"  to  the  Govern^rt'^^X'ir"^'' 

me   United 


kask 
hiind 


^'''•^uly,  1778,  when  CoJ       i 

!  "">  high,  rto  Ja'Z„"  f  """"io-ale  poputoTo  "  'tT'"-'*"'  '"o 


'?*'-  'he  J[«i,,i     i  "   o  »  n,™  skeleton  „f  her  fo^  °      """h  date  she 
""age  byadeep  ,.h.       ,  '^'"''aAia  River,  "f  °™wee)f.    I„  A„ri| 
"'■'".'ha.  /o™:'^h,S  '""'"  "-  '"""rh^Tr,""'""'  """ve  .ha 

has  become  a  insert   ZPT'''-  "''ereoTth"    *r""  »"«•".  and 

*:tereZ,?r-'-^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
'»™er  great„e«     "    °  ™.'"'  h"'  yet  have  1ft  T*'"'    Town',  a"d 
"^-hshestoo,^.^";;-  »-.th  old  Karta^a    Vr:  "'""  °'  'heir 

l,„o«         .    ,  '*^  >''*-.  i™™i„,,„e:,",r"'/S"'«"''„.oed         . 

"-l-ia    :fthrt:'?"^  -""'hn,  the  ha„       .  ""  "'  "" 

"enrj.  s.  Baker,  betor  "ttT''-"      ''^'«'«  "-on   aTa^T'  *"  "■■"«« 

'''«™-«ateBar..„rt,::<'r:,tfs^^^^ 


404  G-encral  Deseription  of  thr  FVench  Colonifits. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


GENERAL    DESCRIPTION   OF   THE    FRENCH    COLONISTS. 


In  this  concluding  chapter  it  is  proposed  to  depict, 
with  as  much  fidelity  as  possible,  considering  the  distance 
of  time  and  place,  and  the  scantiness  of  authentic  data,  the 
village  abodes,  household  and  farming  implements,  occupa- 
tions, dress,  manners,  customs,  amusements,  the  social  and 
religious  life,  peculiar  to  the  early  French  communities  iti 
Illinois  and  Louisiana. 

Unlike  the  English  and  American  pioneers,  who  pre- 
ferred sparse  settlements  and  a  free  range  on  account  of 
their  desire  to  become  land  owners,  the  French  settlers  in- 
variably established  themselves  in  irregular  yet  compact 
villages,  with  such  nari'ow  streets  between  the  houses  tliai 
they  could  easily  carry  on  their  light  and  animated  conver- 
sations across  them.  These  villages  were  commonly  located 
on  the  banks  of  some  river,  adjacent  to  a  fort  or  other  se- 
cure place,  and  convenient  to  both  timber  and  prairie ;  the 
one  furnishing  them  with  firewood  and  building  material, 
and  the  other  svith  ground  for  tillage. 

Their  primitive  habitations  were  doubtless  little  better 
than  the  Indian  wigwams — a  mere  protection  from  the 
weather — but  in  j)roeoss  of  time  they  erected  more  sub- 
stantial houses.  In  general,  their  dwellings  were  one  story 
liigh,  built  in  a  simple  and  inexpensive  way,  after  the  style 
brought  from  Canada,  or  France.  The  framework  con- 
sisted of  roughly  }iewn  posts,  firmly  set  in  the  earth,  a  few 
inches  (sometimes  a  few  feet)  apart,  and  bound  togetlier  by 
horizon*^al  cross-timbers, — the  spaces  between  being  filled 
in  with  mortar,  made  of  common  (jlay  and  Spanish  moss  * 
or  cut  straw.     The  walls  were  whitewashed,  both  within 


*  This  mosB  wan  found  growing  in  great  abundanoe  on  the  foreHt 
frees  of  the  count: y. 


"i^ta.iit-jijVi-i":^" 


liMs. 


'ri'eir  House,  and  FurnUare. 


ONISTS. 

d  to  depict, 
the  distance 
tic  data,  the 
Bnts,  occupa- 
e  social  and 
imunitieH  in 

rs,  who  pre- 
1  account  of 
li  settlers  in- 
y'et  compact 
I  houses  thai 
ated  ccnver- 
lonly  located 
or  other  se- 
prairie ;  the 
ng  material, 

little  better 

Du  from  the 

more  sub- 

sre  one  story 

"ter  the  style 

ework   con- 

earth,  a  few 

togetlier  by 

being  tilled 

misb  moss* 

both   within 

I  rrn  the  totmi 


»nd  without   whi\J  ^^^ 

"^f^nted  wif  1     I  *^t;ic  laicl  with  n7itw,k 

batte,,  work,  and  „«,„  „''';,"'•        h"  ''"<"'«  were  of  nl,i, 
'^'7low«^^e,,«,,„,,      ;       °%  out  of  ,valnut.     T  e 

•;•"■"'■  .»'.vle,  H,o„.,,  JZ'tZ.  ""  "'"""  '"  ''-  «""*•  Pe- 
'"■■^■'"■.v  we,.e  «,  be  f,„„„  '    '  "'l"f"w«Hhe,|.     Few  artiel™  „f 

»"por»ti,ion.  '"  ■'  l'«-P'«  .neli„„,J  to  ,„■„»,.  ,;;"j 

'"  fi.e  V.t'n,''irv'lll'''''''"  "  •'""'  "  '■"""»"»  Hel,le  "  „„, ,  •   ■ 
l'»^-     1 "  ea^l.  vill.if,,  „,,;"^^    .77'''''-<'  t.-eate,l  i„  this 

f  co.muo„  «„M,  ti„r„,t;  ,  '  ^^;'  "  '-■'."..  ,,o,.ti „;  

"■'    '"  ""-'  '""'  -"■  '-     m    V      Th'  T'"  r"""^  '•'■"1-"--  ■ 


406  General  Description  of  the  French  Colonists. 


the  person  in  possession  became  idle  or  negligent  so  as  to 
injure  the  common  interest,  he  forfeited  his  claim.  As  ac- 
cessions were  made  to  families  from  time  to  time,  by  mar- 
riage or  otherwise,  portions  of  land  were  taken  from  the 
commons  and  added  to  the  common  field  for  their  benefit. 
The  time  of  plowing,  sowing,  and  harvesting  was  subject 
to  the  enactments  of  the  village  council  and  comniandaut. 
Even  the  form  and  construction  of  the  inclosures  to  tlieir 
dwellings  and  other  buildings  were  made  a  matter  of 
special  regulation  by  the  local  c;ommandant,  and  were  ar- 
ranged with  a  view  to  defense  in  case  of  any  sudden  up- 
rising of  the  Indians. 

In  the  gardens  of  the  villagers,  the  common  culinary 
plants,  witii  some  medicinal  herbs  and  small  fruits,  were 
cultivated  by  the  side  of  the  modest  violet,  the  fragrant 
rose,  and  the  stately  sunflower.  Here,  too,  the  apple, 
peach,  and  pear  trees  blo8S)me<-  and  matured  their  de- 
licious fruits;  and  the  prolifii^  3'Va,pe-vine,  trained  along  the 
inclosures  or  against  the  eaves  of  the  cottages,  yielded  its 
rich  vintage  in  its  season.  In  addition  to  the  varied  pro- 
ducts of  their  gardens,  the!"  ta])les  were  otherwise  well  sup- 
plied from  the  spoils  of  the  ciiase. 

There  was  always  a  considerable  diversity  of  pursuits 
among  the  French  inhabitants  of  Louisiana  proper,  but  in  the 
dependency  of  the  Illinois,  the  colonists  applied  themselves 
mainly  to  agriculture.  The  principal  crops  raised  were 
wheat,  oats,  rye,  hops  (for  the  breweries),  and  tobacco. 
The  last  named  article  was  highly  esteenv^d  Vjy  the  nuiles  for 
smoking,  and  by  the  elderly  fenuilet;  * -"  when  it  was 
cured  and  pulverized  into  snuff.  Indian  ii  vas  not  much 
grown,  excjept  for  hominy,  and  to  fatten  ,  •  ine.  For  use 
as  bread,  the  French  entertained  for  it  a  settled  aversion. 
Their  horses,  of  which  they  did  not  have  a  great  number, 
had  iieen  introduced  chiefly  from  the  vS})anish  settlements 
in  Mexico,  and  were  small,  yet  strong  and  hardy,  perform- 
ing well  for  their  size.  Horned  cattle  were  easily  and  ex- 
tensively raised.  They  were  first  brought  into  Illinois 
from  Canada,  and,  though  not  large,  were  neat  and  well 
formed. 


Farming  and  other  Implements. 


407 


30  as  to 
As  ac- 
by  mar- 
[Voni  the 
r  benetit. 
,8  subject 
luaudaut. 
i  to  their 
natter   of 
[  were  ar- 
iddeii  up- 

II  culinary 
ruits,  were 
e  fragrant 
the   apple, 
L  their  de- 
d  aU)ng  the 
yielded  its 
varied  ]>ro- 
Ise  well  sup- 

|of  pursuits 
fr,butinthe 
themselves 
hiised  were 
lid   tobacco, 
he  males  for 
ihcn   it  was 
l\8  not  much 
For  use 
id  iiversion. 
nit  nund)er, 
Hcttlements 
|y,  pcrform- 
*ily  and  ex- 
[\io   lUitioifl 
lilt   and  well 


The  farming  implements  of  the  colonists  were  of  the 
crudest  and  most  primitive  pattern.  They  used  wooden 
plows*  for  breaking  and  tilling  the  ground,  hand-tiails  for 
threshing  their  grain,  and  rude  wooden  carts,  without  a 
particle  of  iron,  in  place  of  wagons.  These  implements 
were  mostly  the  liandiwork  of  the  farmer  himself,  aided  by 
his  slaves  (if  he  had  any),  or  by  those  of  his  more  fortunate 
neighbor.  Oxen  were  employed  in  plowing  or  breaking 
the  earth,  and  horses  for  riding  and  drawing  the  carts. 
The  oxen  were  yoked  by  the  horns  instead  of  the  neck, 
and  were  guided  by  strips  or  ropes  of  untanned  hide.  The 
horses  were  driven  tandem,  that  is,  one  before  the  other, 
and  were  directed  and  controlled  by  the  whip  and  voice, 
without  the  convenience  of  reins.  The  harness  used  was 
made  of  raw  hide,  since  they  had  no  tanned  leather  for  any 
purpose. 

Although  cows  were  plentiful  and  milk  abundant,  the 
common  churn  was  a  thing  unknown  to  these  simple  colon- 
ists, thei|*  butter  being  nuide  by  shaking  the  cream  in  a 
bottle,  or  breaking  it  in  a  bowl  with  a  spoon.  Nor  were 
the  spinning-wheel  and  loom  (so  conunon  with  the  Ameri* 
can  pioneers)  to  be  seen  in  their  houses.  The  traders  sup- 
plied all  goods  or  stuff's  for  the  use  of  both  sexes,  not  from 
stocks  exposed  on  shelves  in  stores,  as  at  present,  but  from 
chests  and  trunks,  or  tied  up  in  bales. 

The  costume  of  the  early  French  settlers  was  some- 
what motley  in  its  composition,  but  they  had  an  inherited 
predilection  for  the  blue  in  color.  For  clothing,  the  men 
wore  bhirtf  and  waistcoats  of  cotton,  with  coarse  blue  cloth 
or  deer-skin  trousers,  and  moccasins,  after  the  Indian 
fashion.  Over  these  was  worn,  in  winter,  the  indispensable 
capote,  or  long  woolen  coat,  with  a  blue  hood  attachment, 
which,  in  wet  or  cold  weather,  was  drawn  over  the  head, 
and  at  other  times  fell  back  on  the  shoulders  as  a  cape,  like 

*  "The  old  plow  used  by  tht*  French  would  be  a  euriosity  at  this 
day.  It  had  no  ooultor,  but  l^d  a  larirt^  wooden  mold-board.  The 
handleH  were  short,  and  ptood  almost  perpendicular.  The  beam  was 
nearly  straight,  and  rested  on  an  axle  supported  by  two  small  whoels, 
which  made  the  plow  uusteaily."  — AVy/cj/c/s'  Pioneer  History. 


mm 


I 


408  General  Description  of  the  French  Colonists, 

thsit  of  the  habitants  of  ^jower  Canada.  Among  the  voy- 
af/eurs  and  traders,  the  head  was  more  often  covered  with  a 
blue  cotton  handkerchief,  folded  in  the  shape  of  a  turban. 
In  like  manner,  but  neatly  trimmed  with  ribbons,  was 
formed  the  fancy  head-dress  worn  by  the  young  w^omon  at 
balls  and  other  festive  occasions.  The  dress  of  the  matron, 
though  plain  and  with  the  antique  short  waist,  was  neat  and 
varied  in  its  minor  details  to  suit  the  diversities  of  womanly 
taste.  Both  sexes  wore  moccasins  of  Indian  manufacture, 
which,  for  jtublic  occasions,  werie  variously  decorated  with 
small  shells,  beads  and  ribbons,  giving  them  quite  a  showy 
appearance. 

Notwithstanding  their  tawny  complexions,  and  an  ap- 
pearance of  languor  among  the  people,  the  efiects  in  part 
of  climate,  there  was  nothing  of  that  sickly,  cadaverous 
look,  and  listless  air  and  bearing  so  observable  in  the  Cre- 
oles of  the  West  Indies  and  Central  America.  The  counte- 
nances of  the  young  maidens  in  particular  were  lively  and 
engaging,  with  their  black  eyes,  raven  tresses,  graceful 
forms,  and  quick,  elastic  steps,  like  that  of  the  mountain 
3f  whom  Scott  has 


TTiaidt 


»g 


"A  foot  more  light,  a  step  more  true, 
Ne'er  from  the  heath-fiower  dashed  the  dew." 


They  were  all  essentially  French  in  character,  with 
something  of  the  Spanish  gravity,  but  the  tout  ensemble 
indicated  cheerfulness  and  an  agreeable  composure.*  A 
quick-witter'  people,  they  had  a  penchant  for  nick-names, 
both  as  applied  to  persons  and  i)lace8.  For  example,  they 
iirst  named  Ste.  Genevieve,  Mo.,  Misere^  <is  expressive  of 
the  misery  or  poverty  of  the  place.  Carondelet  received  the 
derisive  tuime  of  Vide  Foche,  or  Empty  Pocket,t  and  St. 
Louis  was   long   known   as  Pain   Court,  or   Short-bread. 


♦  Breose's  Early  Ill's,  p.  103.       ' 

t  (krondelet,  Mo.,  was  founded  by  Clement  Delor  de  Tregette,  as 
early*aH  17(17,  and  was  afterward  iinnied  in  cotriplinient  to  the  Karon 
de  (carondelet,  who  was  Spanish  governor  of  fjouisiana  from  1792till  175)7. 
ThiH  P'reueli  village  is  siluat(>d  about  six  miles  south  of  the  county  court 
house,  in  St.  Louis,  and  now  forms  a  part  of  the  latter  eity. 


Boating  on  the  Mississippi. 


409 


;  the  rov- 
ed witli  a 
a  turban. 
3ons,  was 
women  at 
le  matron, 
s  neat  and 
:  womanly 
luufacturc, 
rated  with 
te  a  showy 

and  an  ap- 
cts  in  part 
cadaverous 
s  in  the  cre- 
Thecounte- 
e  lively  and 
;e8,  graceful 
e  mountain 


iracter,  with 

\out  ensemble 

^losure.*     A 

nick-names, 

:ample,  they 
Ixpressive  of 
,  received  the 

[et,t  51  "d  St. 
)hort-bread. 


i(li>  Trcgotte,  as 

to  the  Baron 

tul7«2tilU797. 

|u>  county  court 

Ity. 


Kaskaskia  was  familiarly  called  An  Kns,  which  became 
corrupted  into  Okaw. 

Among-  these  colonists,  the  mechanical  occupations 
were  confined  to  a  few  carpenters,  tailors,  stone-masons, 
boat-builders,  and  blacksmiths ;  which  last  could  repair  a 
firelock  or  a  rifie.  The  artisans  journeyed  from  village  to 
village  in  quest  of  employment,  and  were  ready  to  turn  their 
hands  to  any  kind  of  work.  Now  and  then  might  be  found 
among  them  a  millwright,  who  could  nutke  or  repair  the  run- 
ning-gear of  a  water-mill,  or  build  a  horse  mill  The  only 
wind-mill  in  the  (.'OUTitry,  of  which  we  find  any  mention, 
stood  on  the  road  between  Kaskaskia  and  Prairie  du  Kocher. 
Coopers  were  sciarce,  though  they  should  have  been  in  de- 
mand, for  large  quantities  of  fiour  were  manufiu'tured  and 
shipped  to  the  southern  markets ;  but  no  other  bagging  ap- 
pears to  have  been  used  in  the  packing  and  shipment  of 
flour  than  that  Jittbrded  by  dried  elk  and  deer-^kins. 

Aside  from  the  business  of  Imnting  and  snuUl  trattick- 
ing  with  the  Indians,  which  attracted  the  more  indolent, 
the  most  captivating  and  adventui'ous  em[>loynient  for  the 
young  or  middle-aged  Frenchman  was  boating  on  the  Mis- 
8is8i])pi  River.  Success  in  this  arduous  calling  <leiuanded 
the  cOiiibined  exercise  of  many  qualities,  such  as  bodily 
activity,  (;oura&'e,  capability  of  undergoing  great  fatigue, 
a  quick  eye,  a  steady  hand,  and  withal  good  judgment. 
The  voyage  from  Fort  Chartres  oi*  Kaskaskia  to  New  Or- 
leans was  the  principal  and  niost  important  one.  It  usually 
consumed  about  three  months'  tiin.-,  and  was  more  .lifiicult 
and  hazardous  than  a  tri[)  across  the  Atlantic,  even  at  that 
day.  The  river,  then  as  now,  was  tortuous  and  I'apid,  its 
deep  chaniu^l  being  obstructed  by  snags  and  sawyers,  and 
continually  shifting  its  course.  Nor  were  these  the  only 
difficulties  to  be  encountered  in  navigating  the  stream. 
From  Kaskaskia  to  the  vicinity  of  New  Orleans,  there 
were  no  white  settlements  ol'  any  couHecpience,  exc^ept  at 
the  Arkansas,  Natchez,  and,  later  on.  Baton  Rouge;  and 
the  route  was  more  or  less  beset  by  marauding  bands  of 
Chickasaws  and  other  Indians,  whom  French  i)ower  had 
not  been  able  to  subdue. 


Mie 


410  General  Description  of  the  French  Colonists. 

The  voyage  waa  made  in  large  bateaux,^  each  manned 
by  from  sixteen  to  twenty  hands,  and  going  in  convoys  for 
mutual  safety.  The  boats  were  laden  with  the  surplus  pro- 
ductions of  the  Illinois  country,  which  were  exchanged  for 
such  necessaries  and  luxuries  as  their  own  labor  or  soil  did 
not  produce,  or  else  converted  into  the  gold  and  silver  coin- 
age of  France.  Accoun.ts  were  all  kept  in  livres;  and,  be- 
sides coin,  good  pelts,  at  a  fixed  rate  per  pound,  were  a 
recognized  measure  of  values,  and  passed  freely  in  com- 
mercial transactions  throughout  the  province. 

The  upward  or  return  voyage  was  very  tedious  and 
laborious,  generally  taking  from  three  to  four  months.  Every 
means  was  resorted  to  by  the  boatmen — by  keeping  in  the 
eddies  near  the  shore,  by  sometimes  crossing  the  river,  and  by 
the  frequent  use  of  the  tow  rope — to  make  headway  against 
the  dead  weight  of  the  current.  Under  such  circumstances 
an  Indian  ambuscade  might  be  fatal  to  the  crew  of  one 
boat,  but  as  several  went  together  the  danger  was  proportion- 
ately lessened.  Attacks  from  the  savages,  however,  were 
less  to  be  dreaded  than  the  malignant  fevers,  which  swept 
away  numbers  of  the  men  annually. 

The  flotilla  was  usually  commanded  by  an  officer  of 
the  king's  troops,  when  a  suitable  one  could  be  had,  or,  if 
not,  one  was  selected  from  among  the  more  experienced 
of  the  boatmen  themselves.  To  reach  this  distinction,  or 
ev^en  that  of  captain  of  a  single  boat,  was  deemed  an  object 
worthy  of  ambition  ;  yet  but  few  attained  this  coveted  prize 
of  their  perilous  calling.  Strict  militar}^  diRcii)line  was 
enforced,  and  a  regular  guard  was  mounted  at  each  stop- 
ping place  at  night.  On  returning  from  their  protracted 
river  voyages,  the  boatmen,  like  sailors  the  world  over,  were 
very  prodigal  of  their  earnings.  "  They  were  as  liberal  as 
princes,  and  valued  money  as  nothing  more  than  a  means 
])y  which  pleasure  could  be  purchased  and  t;i>petites  in- 
dulged.    Saving  was  no  part  of  their  economy."  |     In  con- 


*  The  bateau  was  a  long  and  rather  light  huilt  hoat,  of  about  twenty 
tons  burden. 

t  Breese's  Earlj'  IlIinoiH,  p.  'JOS.  ^ 


Social  Condition  an  Environments. 


411 


I  manned 
nvoys  tor 
rplus  pro- 
anged  for 
or  soil  did 
ilver  coin- 
;  and,  be- 
d,  were  a 
ly  in  coni- 

edious  and 
.ths.  Every 
ping  in  tlie 
iver,andby 
way  against 
•cunistances 
3rew  of  one 
proportion- 
wever,  were 
yliich  swept 

m  officer  of 
lo  bad,  or,  if 
L'xporicnced 
^tinction,  or 
Ld  an  ()\)ject 
l)veted  prize 
loipline  was 
eacdi  stop- 
protracted 
|l  over,  were 
liB  liberal  as 
m  a  means 
jupetites  in- 
|-     In  con- 

1  about  twenty 


vival  intercourse,  they  were  much  addicted  to  relating  long 
stories  about  their  voyages,  adventures,  and  hair-breadth 
escapes  among  the  savages. 

For  ordinary  locomotion  on  water,  the  canoe  was  in- 
dispensable to  the  early  French  settler.  Those  in  common 
use  were  mostly  hollowed  out  of  the  trunks  of  trees,  that 
of  the  cypress  being  preferred  on  account  of  its  lightness 
and  elasticity.  The  birch  bark  canoes  came  from  the 
region  of  the  high  northern  lakes,  and  were  principally  used 
by  the  Canadian  coyagcurs  and  fur-traders.  They  were  con- 
structed of  a  slight  frame-work  of  cedar,  incased  with  the 
flexible  bark  of  the  "Canoe  Birch,"  and  were  remarkable 
fci'  their  lightness  and  buoyancy.  Of  difterent  sizes,  they 
were  finished  alike  at  both  ends,  and  were  built  to  carry 
from  four  to  twelve  persons.  Charlevoix  informs  us  that 
the  Ottawa  Indians  were  the  most  expert  builders  of  these 
canoes,  but  that  the  French  were  more  skillful  in  handling 
them. 

Owing  to  their  extraordinary  tact  for  ingratiating 
themselves  with  the  aboriginal  tribes,  by  whom  tliey  were 
surrounded,  the  Illinois  French  escaped  almost  entirely 
those  broils  and  border  strifes  which  weakened  and  some- 
times destroyed  other  and  less  favored  European  colonies. 
Whether  navigating  the  interminable  rivers  of  the  country, 
or  threading  the  solitudes  of  the  wild  forests  and  prairies 
in  quest  of  game  ;  whether  at  home  in  their  villages,  or  as 
participants  in  the  religious  exorcises  of  the  same  Catholic 
church,  the  red  men  became  their  every-day  associates  acd 
assistants,  and  were  treated  with  the  kindness  and  considera- 
tion of  brothers.  The  social  condition  of  the  early  colonists 
was  thus  formed,  to  some  extent,  by  the  influence  of  their 
Indian  neighbors  with  whom  they  nuiintained  such  friendly 
relations.  But  while  the  barbarism  of  the  savages  was,  in 
some  degree,  softened  by  this  intercourse,  the  uiorals  of  the 
French  were  not  improved.  Many  of  the  original  settlers, 
and  particularly  the  tra\>pers  and  traders,  contracted  mar- 
riages or  temporary  alliances  with  the  Indian  women, 
from  which  sprang  the  mixed   progeny  known  as  "half- 


412  General  Description  of  the  French  Colonists. 

breeds."*  They  made  expert  hunters  and  trappers,  and 
indefatigable  boatmen,  but  in  their  general  characteristics 
partook  more  of  the  savage  than  the  civilized  man.  The 
natural  home  of  the  "half-breed''  is  on  the  outskirts,  the 
boundaries  of  American  civilization,  where  he  still  flour- 
ishes as  in  days  of  yore. 

The  example  of  the  Canadian  and  Illinois  French  in 
amalgiunating  with  the  Indians,  although  adopted  more  per- 
haps as  a  matter  of  policy  and  convenience,  was  not  one  to 
be  commended ;  for  time  and  experience  have  abundantly 
shown  that  all  such  intermixture  of  races  degrade  the  su- 
perior witliout  materially  improving  the  inferior  race.  In 
the  case  of  the  French,  thev  did  not  sink  to  the  level  of 
barbarism,  yet  they  were  left  in  a  condition  below  that  of 
true  civilization.  There  are,  it  is  true,  some  English  and 
American  half  and  quarter-breeds;  but,  as  a  rule,  the 
Anglo-Americans  have  ever  disdained  to  mingle  their 
blood  with  a  distinctively  inferior  race,  and  to  this  circum- 
stance they  owe,  in  no  slight  degree,  their  pre-eminence 
among  the  enlightened  races  of  mankind. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  French  settlements  in  Louisi- 
ana, there  was  very  little  money  of  any  kind  in  circulation, 
business  being  transacted  by  barter  and  exchanf'e.  After 
the  collapse  of  Law's  "credit  system"  (1720),  the  money 
in  use  consisted  of  gold  and  silver  coins  of  the  French  and 
Spanish  mints.  The  value  of  every  thing  was  reckoned 
in  livres ;  the  livre  being  equivalent  to  the  modern  franc, 
five  of  which  equal  ninety-five  cents.  Then  there  was  the 
louis  d'or,  a  French  gold  coin,  valued  at  $4.84,  and  the 
Spanish  doubloon,  a  gold  coin  worth  about  |15.93.  During 
Gov.  Kerlerec's  administration,  a  paper  money  called  bans 
was  extensively  issued  at  New  Orleans,  but  it  never  had 
much  circulation  in  the  dependency  of  the  Illinois.  It 
was  emitted  in  sums  of  from  ten  sous  or  cents  to  one  hun- 
dred livres,  was  signed  by  the  governor  and  intendant  of 
the  province,  and  was  so  called  from  the  first  word  on  the 


*  In  the  French  villages  of  Missouri,  the  half-breeds  received  the 
uic-naino  of  "Gumbos." 


ts. 


Their  Amusements  and  Festal  Days. 


413 


ppers,  and 
,racteri8tic8 
man.  The 
Ltskirts,  the 
still  flour- 

;  French  in 
sd  more  per- 
8  not  one  to 

abundantly 
•ade  the  bu- 
lor  race.     In 

the  level  of 
elow  that  of 
English  and 
a  rule,  the 
mingle  their 
)  this  cireum- 
pre-eminence 

nts  in  Louisi- 
n  circulation, 
•vnr-e.     After 
i),  the  money 
French  and 
as  reckoned 
[lodern  franc, 
;here  was  the 
.84^  and  the 
93.    During 
>y  called  bons 
lit  never  had 
Illinois.     It 
to  one  hun- 
intendant  of 
ord  on  the 

Ids  received  the 


face  of  the  paper — Bon  pour  la  somme  payable  en  lettre  de 
change  sur  le  tresor. 

Separated  from  their  mother-land  by  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  and  by  a  thousand  miles  of  interior  navigation 
from  Montreal  on  the  one  hand,  and  from  New  Orleans  on 
the  other,  the  French  colonists  of  Illinois  were  obliged  to 
rely  upon  themselves  not  only  for  the  necessaries  of  life, 
but  also  for  their  amusements.  Socially  inclined,  light- 
hearted  and  gay,  their  principal  diversion  was  dancing,  in 
which  all  classes  freely  joined,  to  the  enlivening  music  of 
the  violin.  When  parties  were  assembled  for  this  purpose, 
it  was  customary  to  choose  some  of  the  older  and  more  dis- 
creet persons  to  direct  the  entertainment,  preserve  order,  and 
see  that  all  present  had  an  opportunity  to  participate  in  the 
pleasurable  pastime.  Whenever  those  in  authority  on  such 
occasions  decided  that  the  entertainment  had  been  pro- 
tracted long  enough,  it  was  brought  to  a  close,  and  thus 
excesses  were  avoided. 

Then,  again,  the  monotony  of  their  existence  was 
broken  by  the  nmny  fetes  or  festal  days  connected  with  the 
Catholic  church.  All  the  people  shared  alike  in  the  harm- 
less merriment  of  shrove-ti*''^  and  in  the  fun  and  frolic  of 
the  carnival,  and  at  its  close  i. 'paired  to  the  sacred  precincts 
of  the  sanctuary  to  receive  the  sprinkling  of  ashes,  typica' 
of  their  conclusion.  All,  too,  observed  the  same  self-denying 
ordinances  during  the  Lenten  season,  wliich  terminated 
with  the  festival  of  Easter.  Society,  of  course,  had  its  di- 
visions even  here ;  but  those  artificial  distinctions  between 
the  rich  and  the  poor,  which  obtain  in  older  and  more  pol- 
ished communities,  were  not  recognized  or  maintained 
among  these  secluded  colonists. 

In  ^aeir  domestic  relations,  they  were  in  general  ex- 
emplary and  kind,  aftectionate  to  their  children  and  lenient 
toward  their  slaves.  In  fact,  the  family  circle  was  usually 
a  very  cheerful  and  happy  one.  The  male  servants  worked 
in  the  fields  with  their  masters,  faring  as  well  as  they  did, 
and  had  small  plots  of  ground  assigned  them,  and  the  use 
of  their  master's  team  to  cultivate  the  same;  thus  mutual 
esteem  and  confidence  were  inspired.     The  females  assisted 


414  General  Di'^cription  of  the  French  Colonists. 

their  niistresHes  in  the  kitchen  and  nursery,  and  then, 
in  neat  attire,  accompanied  them  to  matins  and  ves- 
pers. When  sick  or  disabled,  they  were  nursed  with 
tenderness  and  care ;  and,  in  fine,  were  the  recipients  of  so 
much  liurnane  treatment  as  to  be  wholly  unmindful  of  the 
fetters  with  which  custom  and  state  policy  had  bound 
them. 

The  language  spoken  by  the  commonalty  was  not  pure 
French,  but  a  patois^  or  corrupted  i)rovincial  dialect.  No 
common  schools  existed  in  the  country,  nor  any  system  of 
public  instruction.  The  Jesuits  imparted  some  little  of  that 
learning,  with  which  they  were  so  richly  endowed,  to  such 
young  Creoles  as  they  found  "  thirsting  for  the  waters  of 
the  Pierian  spring;"  yet  no  plan  of  general  education  was 
ever  adopted,  or  even  seriously  considered,  by  those  in  au- 
thority. Hence  the  charge  of  illiteracy  is  laid  against  this 
people;  but,  as  the  poet  Gray  has  said —  .. 


"  Where  ignorance  is  bliss,  'tis  folly  to  be  wise." 

The  Roman  Catholic  creed,  however,  was  instilled  into 
the  minds  of  all  from  their  earliest  childhood,  and  the  ta- 
pering spires  of  its  little  churches  or  chapels  arose  in  every 
hamlet.  In  them  was  performed  the  marriage  ceremony, 
the  priest  consecrating  the  nuptial  tie  and  recording  the 
act,  which  was  attested  by  witnesses.  There  the  sacrament 
of  baptism  was  administered  to  infants  and  adults;  there, 
too,  were  held  the  last  sad  obsequies  for  the  dead,  and 
masses  were  said  for  the  souls  of  those  "  not  dying  in  the 
odor  of  sanctity."  * 

"•  Separated  thus  from  all  the  world,  these  people  ac- 
quired many  peculiarities.  In  language,  dress,  and  man- 
ners, they  lost  much  of  their  original  polish ;  but  they  re- 


*  Breese's  Early  111.,  p.  209.  i  ^^     .;.::. 

Note. — "  The  inhabitants,"  writes  Reynolds,  "  were  devout  and  strong 
believers  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  They  were  willing  to  fight 
and  die  for  the  maintenance  of  the  doctrines  of  their  church.  They 
considered  the  Church  of  Rome  infallible,  emanating  directly  from  God, 
and  therefore  all  the  dogmas  were  received  and  acted  on  without  a  why 
or  wherefore." — Pivucer  HiMory  of  Illinois,  p.  55. 


Origin  of  the  Different  Classes  q/"  Colonists.  415 


ind  then, 
and  ves- 
rsed  with 
ents  of  so 
iful  of  the 
lad  hound 

L8  not  pure 
alect.     No 
system  of 
ittle  of  that 
ed,  to  such 
-^  waters  of 
ication  was 
hose  in  au- 
igainst  this 


e." 

nstilled  into 
and  the  ta- 
ose  in  every 
ceremony, 
cording  the 
e  sacrament 
ults;  there, 
dead,  and 
ying  in  the 

people  ac- 

and  man- 

)ut  they  re- 


)ut  and  strong 
,'illing  to  fight 
church.  They 
jtly  from  God, 
/ithout  a  why 


tained,  and  (tlieir  descendants)  still  retain,  many  of  the 
leadiiii^  characteristics  of  their  nation.  Tliev  took  care  to 
keep  up  their  ancient  holidays  and  festivals;  and  with 
few  luxuries,  and  fewer  wants,  they  were  prohahly  as  cheer- 
ful and  as  happy  a  people  as  any  in  existence.*'  * 

The  foregoing  descriptiv*  account  applies  not  only  to 
the  early  French  colonists  in  Illinois  and  all  Northern  Lou- 
isiana, hut  also,  with  only  slight  alteration,  to  their  village 
settlements  in  Southern  Louisiana.  At  New  Orleans,  the  po- 
litical and  commercial  seat  of  government,  there  was  always 
a  certain  number  of  people  of  family  and  education.  There 
were  the  rude  semblance  of  a  court,  a  kind  of  theater,  and 
amusements  of  a  liigher  grade  than  could  be  found  else- 
where within  the  limits  of  the  large  province.  The  deni- 
zens of  New  Orleans  were  wont  to  look  upon  their  rural 
countrymen  in  much  the  same  manner  as  they  themselves 
were  regarded  bv  the  refined  circles  of  Paris.  Amonor  tiie 
mixed  jtopuiation  of  that  colonial  metropolis,  however, 
drunkenness,  brawls,  and  dueling  were  unhappily  too  prev- 
alent, both  before  and  after  the  Spanish  occupation  of  the 
country.f 

Some  few  of  the  Louisiana  colonists  were  of  noble 
origin ;  msmy  were  military  officers,  while  others  were 
born  gentlemen,  and  the  ecclesiastics  were  all  educated 
people.  AVith  but  few  exceptions,  the  original  immigrants 
to  Illinois  had  come  by  way  of  Canada  from  the  north  of 
France,  and  mostly  belonged  to  the  bourgeois  and  paysan 
classes.  But  many  of  those  who  afterward  settled  in 
Lower  Louisiana  were  from  the  south-western  provinces 
of  France,  bordering  on  the  Pyrenees  and  the  Atlantic. 
A  number  of  these  were  well  educated  business  men  from 
the  larger  cities  and  towns,  and  some  of  them  made  their. 
way  up  the  Mississippi  to  Kaskaskia  and  St.  Louis,  where 
they  founded  influential  families,  still  cxisting.l  It  was, 
perhaps,  a  fortunate  trait,  and  certainly  an  amiable  one,  in 


*  Sketches  of  the  West,  by  Judge  James  Hall,  vol.  1,  p.  150. 

t  Gayarr^'e  Louisiana,  vol.  1. 

X  Billon's  Annals  of  Early  St.  Louis. 


416  (Tenerol  Description  of  the  French  Colonists. 

the  French  character,  that  such  men  could  so  readily  re- 
sign the  comforts  and  pleasures  of  civilized  life  in  their 
natal  land,  and  make  themselves  contented  among  savages 
in  the  remote  and  uncultivated  regions  of  the  Mississippi, 
where  they  seldom  heard  from  their  homes  over  the  sea 
more  than  once  in  twelve  months. 


[  AUTHORITIES.] 

For  the  facts  embodied  in  the  foregoing  chapter,  we  are  indebted  to 
various  sources,  but  chiefly  to  the  labors  of  Judge  Sidney  Breese  and  ex- 
Gov.  John  Reynolds,  both  of  whom  had  early  an  excellent  opportuni- 
ties for  observing  the  French  character  and  manners.  Breese  resided  in 
Kaskaskia  from  1S18  to  1835,  and  then  at  Carlyle,  Illinois,  until  his  death 
in  1878;  while  Reynolds  lived  in  Cahokia  from  1814  to  about  1830,  and 
afterward  in  Belleville,  111.,  until  the  close  (if  his  life  in  180").  It  may  be 
added  here  that  Breese's  "Early  History  of  Illinois  ''  was  first  given  to 
the  public  in  the  shape  of  an  extended  historical  address,  in  December, 
1842,  but  it  was  not  published  in  book  form  until  aft(ir  his  decease,  and, 
then,  without  his  previous  revision  or  correction.  ReyuoMs'  "  Pioneer 
History,"  an  <       rtaining  and  instructive  work,  lirst  appeared  in  1852. 

Among  1  1  writers  on  French- American  history,  the  two  most 

distinguished  are  Francis  Parkman  and  the  laU;  Dr.  John  (iilmary  Shea.* 
Their  various  and  valuable  publications  cover  the  entire  period  of  the 
French  rule  on  this  continent,  and  are  characterized  by  profoundness 
of  erudition  and  elegance  of  style.  To  these  may  now  be  added  Dr. 
Wm.  Kingsford,  of  Ottawa,  Canada,  whose  elaborate  and  able  "  History 
of  Canada  from  the  Earliest  Times  to  1841,"  has  taken  rank  among  the 
standard  publications  of  the  day.  But  those  who  would  become 
thoroughly  informed  ooncernini:  this  early  and  intricate  branch  of 
American  history,  should  study  the  writings  of  Charlevoix,  Hennepin 
Le  Clercq,  Bossu,  La  Hontan,  and  the  Jesuit  missionaries. 


♦  This  emiiKMit  Catliolic  .scholar,  after  a  1i>iik  and  laborious  literary  i-areer,  died  at 
his  home  in  Elizabelli,  New  .Jersey,  the  22d  of  February,  18!V2,  aged  si.xty-uitie. 


ts. 

readily  re- 
fe  in  their 
ng  savages 
Mississippi, 
/er  the  sea 


re  indebted  to 
Breese  and  ex- 
ent  opportuni- 
eese  resided  in 
until  his  death 
\)out  1830,  and 
W,,").    It  may  be 
s  lirst  given  to 
1,  in  December, 
is  decease,  and, 
lolds'  "  Pioneer 
leared  in  1852. 
f,  the  two  most 
(^ilmaryShea.* 
period  of  the 
y  profoundness 
be  added  Dr. 
|l  able  "  History 
[ink  among  the 
would    become 
;ate  branch   of 
oix,  Hennepin 
Is. 

[iry  career,  died  at 
sixty-nine. 


INDEX. 


A.  . 

Abenakis  Indians,  a  band  of  near  Fort  Miami  on  Lake  Michigan,  page 
loO;  they  form  a  pan  of  La.^alle's  colony  on  the  Illinois  River,  148. 

Abcrcrombie,  General,  and  commander-in-chief  of  the  British  army 
(1758),  332;  repulsed  by  Montcalm  at  Ticonderoga,  333. 

Acadia,  settled  by  the  French  under  DeMonts,  10,  11;  origin  of  the 
name,  10,  note ;  when  changed  to  Nova  Scotia,  329,  note. 

Acadiaus,  deportation  of  to  English  colonies,  329  and  note;  settlement 
formed  by  in  Lower  Louisiana,  368. 

Accault  or  Ako,  Michael,  companion  of  Father  Hennepin  on  the  Mia- 
si.ssippi,  105;  his  wife  the  daughter  of  a  Kaskaskia  chief,  204. 

Aix-la-Chapelle,  Treaty  of,  313,  329. 

Akansoa,  or  Akansa.    (See  Arkansas.) 

Algonqi'.i'is,  on  the  St.  Lfwrence,  13  and  note;  mention,  34,  48. 

Alibamoiir,  location  of,  2(;c,  note. 

Allouvz,  Claude,  founds  the  Jesuit  Mission  on  Green  Bay,  51 ;  intrigues 
with  the  Miamis  against  La  Salle,  92;  re-establishes  Marquette's  mis- 
sion at  the  great  town  of  the  Illinois,  196;  his  description  of  the 
town,  197;  death  at  Ft.  Miami,  on  Lake  Michigan,  198. 

Amusements  of  the  early  Illinois  colonists,  413. 

Anticosti  Island,  discovered  by  Cartier,  5 ;  granted  to  Joliet,  68. 

Aquipaguetin,  a  Sioux  chief,  the  adopted  father  of  Hennepin,  107. 

Arkansas  River,  discovered  by  De  Soto.  29. 

Arkansas  Post,  181,  note;  established  by  Henri  de  Tonty,  182;  mention, 
190,  242.  "         :  .  .:  . 

Arkansas,  villages  of  the,  58,  138,  183. 

Aubry,  Charles,  Chevalier  de,  defeats  an  English  force  near  Fort  Du- 
quesue,  334 ;  becomes  acting  French  governor  of  Louisiana,  367 ; 
Champigny's  portrait  of,  367-8,  note;  he  delivers  possession  of  the 
province  to  O'Reilly,  374;  perishes  by  drowning  in  the  river  Ga- 
ronne, 379  and  note. 

Authorities  cited  in  this  work,  416,  note. 


B. 

Bahamos,  or  Ebahamos,  an  errant  tribe  of  southern  Texas,  162,  167. 
Bancroft,  George,  references  to  his  History  of  the  United  States,  29, 

note,  205,  219,  note,  285,  290. 
Balize,  a  hamlet  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  371,  note. 
Beaujeu,  Captain  or  Count  de,  pilots  La  Salle's  Sea  expedition  into  Gulf 

27  (417) 


.i'.»M.W^!.i.-..l»;,„.-,,„.  ,», 


418 


Index. 


of  Mexico,  156;  his  bickerings  with  I.a  Salle,  156-7;  takes  leave  of 
the  latter  on  coast  of  Texas,  150. 

Beaujeu,  Daniel  Lienard  de,  i>lans  defeat  of  Braddock  on  the  Monon- 
gaheia,  827 ;  is  killed  in  the  battle,  328. 

Belle  Fontaine,  lieutenant  under  Tonty  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  of  the  111.,  184. 

Bellerive,  Louis  St.  Ange  de,  commandant  at  Post  de  Vincennes,  302; 
he  surrenders  Fort  Chartres  to  Capt.  Stirling,  360;  twice  ap- 
pointed commandant  at  Fort  Chartres,  361,  note ;  goes  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  and  takes  command  there,  385;  is  admitted  into  a  Spanish 
regiment,  385 ;  dies  in  St.  Louis  at  a  ripo  age,  386,  note. 

Bienville,  Jean  Baptiste,  Sieur  de,  accompanies  his  brother  Iberville 
to  Louisiana,  213;  succeeds  Sauvolle  in  command  at  Fort  Biloxi, 
and  on  the  Mobile,  223;  is  appointed  lieutenant-commandant  under 
Crozat,  239;  erects  Fort  iiosalie  at  Natchez,  241  ;  commissioned 
governor  of  the  Province  of  Louisiana,  under  the  Company  of  the 
West,  260;  founds  the  city  of  New  Orleans  (in  1718\  263;  takes 
Pensacola  from  the  Spaniards,  26(>-7  ;  his  first  campaign  against  the 
Chickasaws  2iK);  second  campaign,  295 ;  retires  from  office  under  a 
cloud,  296;  sails  for  France  regretted  by  the  colonists,  297;  his  in- 
terview with  the  Duke  de  Choiseul,  to  protest  against  the  transfer  of 
Louisiana  to  Spain,  369;  death  and  character,  369  and  iwk. 

Billons  (F.  L.)     Annnls  of  early  St.  Louis,  389,  415. 

Boating  on  the  Lower  Mississippi,  409. 

Bceuf,  Fort  Le,  gr  Fl.  sur  la  rhnere  au  B(mf,  situation  of,  321  ;  Washing- 
ton's wintev  journey  thither,  322 ;  mention,  350. 

Boisbriant,  Pierre  Duqu^  de,  arrives  in  Louisiana  as  king's  lieutenant, 
260;  is  sent  to  command  at  the  dependency  of  the  Illinois,  270; 
builds  old  Fort  Chartres,  271  ;  land  grants  executed  by,  272-3;  be- 
comes governor  ad  interim  of  Louisiana,  276. 

Bossu,  M.,  Captain  in  the  French  marines,  and  Chevalier  of  St.  Louis, 
his  account  of  the  Spanish-Mexican  expedition  into  the  country  of 
the  Misfouri  Indians,  269;  a  id  notice  of  the  rebuilding  of  Fort 
('hartres,  313,  note. 

Bouquet,  Col.  Henry,  conquers  the  Delawr.res  and  Shawnees  on  the 
river  Muskingham,  351  ;  releases  many  wliite  prisoners,  351. 

Braddock,  Fdward,  Uritish  general,  lands  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  and 
marches  against  Fort  Duquesne,  326  ;  his  disastrous  defeat  at  Battle 
of  the  Monongahela,  327;  skstoh  of  his  military  career,  328,  note. 

Br6benf,  Jean  de,  one  of  the  first  Jesuit  missionaries  in  Canada,  16,  18. 

Breeae,  Sidney  references  to  and  citations  from  his  Early  History  of 
Illinois,  89,  mle ;  96,  note;  112,  nok ;  147,  204,  273-4,  287,  305,  ?10,  314, 
381,  408,410,  414,416,  note. 

Brenil,  M.  de,  erects  first  sugar  mill  at  New  Orleans,  297. 

British  tnilitary  govera  ^rs  of  Illinois,  394,  395. 

Buffalo  Rock  (60  feet  high),  on  the  Illinois  River,  about  three  miles  above 
Starved  Rock,  90. 

0. 

Cabots,  John  and  Sebastian,  early  voyages  of  discovery  to  North  Amer- 
ica, 2  and  3. 


Index. 


419 


26  leave  of 
le  Monon- 

le  Til.,  1«4. 
•nnes,  302 ; 

twice  ap- 
,  St.  Louis, 

a  Spanish 

er  Iberville 
[i'ort  Biloxi, 
idant  under 
ninuHsioneil 
pany  of  the 
,  26'.'.;  takes 
1  against  the 
tlice  under  a 
297  -,  his  in- 
le  transfer  of 


l\ ;  Washing- 

8  lieutenant, 
Illinois,  270; 
,y,  272-3;  be- 
ef St.  Louis, 
Ihe  country  of 
Idini,'  t)f   I'^ort 

Miees  on  the 

361. 
[ia,  Va.,  and 
tfeat  at  Battle 
r,  328,  noU. 
lanada,  lii,  18. 
\y  History  of 
1305,  ?10,  314, 


le  miles  above 


iNorth  Amer- 


Cadiliac,  Antoine  de  la  Mothe,  governor  of  Louisiana  under  Crozat,  238  ; 
skitch  of,  239,  note ;  founds  the  post  of  Detroit,  344. 

Cadodaquis,  an  Indian  tribe  on  Red  River,  180,  188. 

Cahokia,  first  settlemeiit  of,  207;  Charlevoix'  account  of  the  mission 
at,  209 ;  Pittnian's  description  of  the  village,  392,  393  and  note. 

Canada,  discovery  of,  .3 ;  derivation  of  the  name,  7,  note. 

Canoep,  birch  bark,  how  constructed,  411. 

Carondelet,  village  of,  when  and  by  whom  founded,  408,  note. 

Cartier,  Jacques,  French  navigator,  discovers  and  explores  the  St.  Law- 
rence, 5  ;  with  Roberval  he  attempts  a  settlement  on  that  river,  7  ; 
is  rewarded  for  his  services  to  the  king  with  a  patent  A  nobility,  8. 

Cavelier,  the  Abb<i  Jean,  a  Sulpitian  priest  and  brother  of  La  Salle,  72; 
he  accompanies  La  Salle  in  his  last  expedition,  155 ;  deception  prac- 
ticed by  him  on  Tonty,  18G. 

Cenis  Indians,  on  Trinity  River,  Texas,  visited  by  La  Salle,  164;  also  by 
Joutel  et  al.,  176. 

Champlain,  Sanniel  de,  i)arontage  and  early  career,  9;  is  sent  by  the 
governor  of  Dieppe  on  an  exploring  expedition  to  the  St.  Lawrence, 
10;  assists  DeMonts  in  colonizing  Acadia,  11;  with  Pontgrave  he 
founds  Ciuebee,  12,  l.'»;  surrenders  that  post  to  the  English,  and  is 
carried  a  prisoner  to  England,  17;  his  return  to  Canada,  and  death 
at  Quebec,  18:  analysis  of  his  character,  19. 

Champlain  Lake,  when  discovered,  14. 

Charlevoix,  Pierrr^  Francois  Xavier  de,  a  distinguished  Jesuit  scholar 
and  liistorian ;  references  to  and  quotations  from  his  works,  12, 
note;  16,  note;  62,  65,  note;  208-240,  263;  biographical  notice  of,  211, 
not( . 

Chateaugu^,  Antoine  le  Moynede,  brother  of  Iberville  and  Ilienville,225. 

Checagou,  chief  of  the  Kaskaskias,  290. 

Chickasaw  liluils,  mention,  28,  137,  292. 

Chickasaw  nation,  289;  Frencli  wars  with,  290,  295,  298. 

Chicagoii  or  Chicago,  site  fif  wintered  on  by  Marquette,  63 ;  visited  by 
lia  Salle  on  his  way  to  the  gulf,  1.35-6. 

ChoiBeul,  Duke  de,  prime  minister  of  Louis  XV.,  letter  to  the  Count  de 
Fufuites,  364;  he  refuses  pi'tition  i»f  the  inhabitants  of  La.,  369. 

Clark,  Va)\.  (ieorge  iiogers,  his  expedition  to,  and  cunqiiest  of  the  Il- 
linois country,  402  and  vnU\  403  note. 

(V>lbort,  Jean  Baptiste,  a  great  minister  under  Louis  XFV.,  favors  La 
Salle's  enterprises,  80,  SI  ;  decease  of,  163,  tuite. 

Columbus,  Christopher,  mention,  2. 

Comet  of  1680,  120,  note. 

Commons,  right  of  granted  to  the  inhabi1,ants  of  Ka.skaskia,  304,  305. 

Common  Fields,  descri[)tion  of,  273. 

Copper  mines,  search  for,  40,  46,  399. 

Cortereal,  (iaspar  de  (Portiiguese  navigator),  voyages  to  Labrador,  3. 

Cotton,  when  culture  of  introdiux'd  in  Louisiana,  298. 

Court  of  "  Royal  Jurisdiction"  in  the  Illinois,  309,  310. 

Court,  first  common  law,  in  Illinois,  395. 


wmmmmmmm      I'T 


420 


Index. 


Coureurs  des  hois,  or  runners  of  the  woods,  attempts  of  the  Canadian 
government  to  suppress,  118,  195. 

Courcelles,  Daniel  de  Kdmy,  Sieur  de,  second  Canadian  governor  under 
the  royal  provincial  government,  20 ;  recall  of,  45. 

Cr^ve-coeur  (See  Fort  Cr^ve-coeur). 

Craig,  Captain  Thomas,  destroys  French  and  Indian  village  of  Peoria, 
401,  nok. 

Croghan,  Colonel  George,  conciliatory  mission  to  the  Western  Indians, 
353 ;  his  journey  over  the  mountains  to  Fort  Pitt,  353 ;  he  descends 
the  Ohio,  355 ;  is  captured  by  a  band  of  Kickapoos  below  mouth  of 
the  Wabash,  355 ;  taken  as  a  prisoner  to  Vincennes,  350 ;  released 
at  Fort  Ouatanon,  356;  he  meets  and  confers  with  Pontiac,  357; 
peace  speech  by  to  the  Indians  at  Detroit,  358 ;  success  of  his  mis- 
sion, 360. 

Crozat,  Antoine,  Marquis  de  Chatel,  is  gra.nted  a  monopoly  of  the  com- 
merce and  government  of  Louisiana,  234 ;  his  letters  patent,  234-237 ; 
mercantile  and  mining  operations  of,  238,  239 ;  surrenders  his  charter 
to  the  crown,  240. 

D. 

Dablon,  Claude,  eminent  Jesuit  missionary,  42 ;  notice  of  his  life  and 
writings,  43,  44,  note. 

D'Abbadie,  M.,  succeeds  Kerlerec  as  acting  governor  of  Louisiana,  314, 
303  ;  death  of  in  New  Orleans,  367. 

D'Artaguettc,  Diron,  coinmissalre  ordonnnteur  in  Louisiana,  233,  288. 

D'Artaguette,  Pierre,  serves  in  the  Natchoz  war,  288;  is  made  command- 
ant at  tiie  Illinois,  288;  leads  an  expedition  against  the  Chickasaws, 
292 ;  wounded  and  taken  prisoner,  293 ;  perishes  au  the  stake,  294. 

Davidson  and  Stuv^'s  History  of  Illinois,  references  to,  etc.,  J 32-3,  286, 
298,  347,  389,  396,  397. 

D'Autry,  the  Sieur,  explores  passes  of  the  Mississippi  with  La  Salle,  144. 

Delaware  Indians,  mention,  320,  351. 

Do  Leon,  Don  Alonzo,  expedition  of  from  Mexico  to  Fort  St.  Louis,  of 
Texas,  190. 

De  Luna,  Don  Tristan,  leads  a  Spanish  army  jf  Invasion  into  West 
Florida,  33,  279. 

De  Motits,  Pierre  du  (iuast,  Sieur,  an  officer  of  Henry  IV. 's  household, 
1(1;  under  letter  patent  he  plants  the  iirsl  French  colony  in  Acadia, 
11;  loses  his  inflnence  at  court  on  death  of  that  monarch,  15. 

Detroit,  founded  by  La  Mothe  Cadillac  (in  1701),  341;  its  situation  and 
early  military  history,  344;  Indian  siege  of  under  Pontiac,  349. 

De  Villiers,  Capt.  Neyon,  overcomes  Washington  at  Fort  Necessity  325; 
is  made  commandant  of  the  Illinois  at  Fort  Chartres,  312,  342  and 
Hole;  he  resigns  and  goes  to  New  Orleans,  363;  n>ceiveB  tlie  decora- 
tion of  the  (^rosB  of  St.  Louis,  303. 

De  Vin(!enneH  (or  Vincenne)  .Jean  r..ii)ti8te  IJissot,  sketch  of,  299;  estab- 
lishes the  post  of  Vincennos,  299,  301;  joins  D'Artaguette  in  his 
expedition  against  the  Chickasaws,  292;  and  shares  that  officer's 
lamentable  fate,  293. 


Index. 


421 


;he  Canadian 
ivernor  under 

age  of  Peoria, 

atern  Indians, 
( ;  he  descends 
elow  mouth  of 
^  SoG;  released 
I  Pontiac,  o^7; 
jesB  of  bis  rais- 

jly  of  the  corn- 
patent,  234-237; 
ders  his  charter 

,  of  his  life  and 
£  Louisiana,  314, 

la,  233,  288. 
[made  command- 

the  Chickasaws, 

the  stake,  294. 

,  etc.,  132-3,  286, 

ith  La  Salle,  144. 
fort  St.  Louis,  of 
liision  into  West 

llV.'s  household, 
jlony  in  Acadia, 

Inarch,  15. 

lis  situation  and 
lontiac,  340. 
It  Necessity  325; 
Ires,  312,  342  and 
lives  the  decora- 

|h  of,  29i) ;  ostab- 
KuKuette  in  his 
Jth  that  officer's 


Des  Ursius,  Marc  Antoine  de  la  Loire,  commissary  and  judge  for  the 

India  Company  in  Illinois,  272,  273;  killed  at  Natchez,  382. 
Dieskau,  Lu<lwig  August,  Baron,  a  German-French  general  in  the  '■'jven 

Years'  War,  330;  mortally  wounded  in  battle  near  Crown  Point,  330. 
Dinwiddle,  Robert,  colonial  governor  of  Virginia,  sends  Washington  on 

mission  to  the  French,  321 ;  orders  the  raising  of  a  regiment  to  drive 

the  French  from  Virginia  territory,  323. 
Domestic  Al'iancesof  the  French  colonists  with  the  Indians,  8, 204, 303, 412, 
Donnacona,  an  ludian  potentate  at  Quebec,  5;  is  carried  by  Cartier  to 

France,  7.  < 

Douay,  Father  Anastasius,  RecoUet  missionary,  155 ;  his  account  of  La 

Salle's  murder,  IGH*;  ascends  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  with  Abb^ 

Cavelier,  et  al.,  183-4 ;  returns  to  France,  187;  he  accompanies  D'lber- 

ville  in  his  colonizlTig  expedition  to  the  Mississippi,  215  and  note. 
Du  (Tay,  Picard,  companion  of  Hennepin  in  his  Sioux  o-aptivity,  105, 107. 
Duhaut,  M.,  principal  assassin  of  La  Salle,  170;  is  himself  slain  in  an 

altercation  with  Hiens,  177. 
Du  L'Hut,  Daniel  Greysolon,  penetrates  the  Sioux  country  from  Lake 

Superior,  and  effects  the  release  of  Hennepin,  et  al.,  108;  sketch  of 

his  adventurous  career,  108,  nnle. 
Dumont's  Historical  Memoir  of  Limisiana,  2H7,  27U,  280,  282,  note,  292. 
Durret's,  R.  T.,  Kentucky  Centennial  Address,  38. 

E. 

Edict  of  Nantes,  when  enacted  and  revoked,  248  nolt. 

Englisli,  early  efforts  to  discover  the  Mississippi,  38;  surrender  of  the 

Illinois  country  to,  300;  duration  of  their  rule,  402. 

"  English  Turn,"  on  Lower  MissisRip]>i,  origin  of  the  phrase,  220. 

Epinay,  M.  de  L',  succeeds  Cadillac  as  governor  of  Louisiana,  245. 

^. 
F. 

Farmer,  Major  Robert,  relieves  Captain  Stirling,  in  command  at  Fort 
Chartres,  394. 

Florida,  when  discovered,  24;  Soto's  remarkable  adventures  in,  24-32; 
Narvaez's  expedition  to,  25. 

Forbes,  (leneral  Joseph,  leads  the  second  English  expedition  against 
Fort  Duquesne,  333  ;  death  of,  3:54. 

Fort  Hiloxi,  or  Maurepas,  built  by  Ihervilh',  219 ;  unfavorable  site  of, 
and  removal  of  the  colony  from,  224;  New  IJiloxi,  207,  w)U'. 

Fort  Chartres,  lirst  building  of,  271 ;  wlien  rebuilt,  313;  Broese's  remarks 
on,  314;  PittMian's  description  of,  315  ;  substMiueJit  history,  310-318. 

Fort  Crrfve-coenr,  building  of,  93;  wliy  so  named,  94;  dt'seribed  by  Hen- 
nepin, h)1. 

Fort  Duquesne,  begun  by  agents  of  the  Ohio  (/onipany,  323  ;  completed 
and  named  by  (-aptain  Contrecoeur,  323 ;  taken  by  the  English  un- 
der (ieneral  Forbes,  and  name  changcul  to  Fort  Pitt,  334. 

Fort  Frontenac,  when  built,  79 ;  granted  in  seigniory  to  La  Salle,  80 ; 

*  III  this  account,  the  dute  of  Lu  Salle's  murder  should  read  the  19lh  instead  of 
the  9th  of  March,  1687. " 


iS 


I.: 

ill 

'i! 


I  ■  I- 


422 


Index. 


captured  and  demolished  by  the  English  provincials  under  Colonel 

'•      Bradstreet,  333. 

Fort  Gage,  near  Kaskaskia,  removal  of  British  troops  to  from  Fort  Char- 
tres,  316;  Pittman's  notice  of,  391  ;  is  taken  by  Colonel  Clark,  402. 

Fort  Massac,  or  Marsiac,  on  the  Lower  Ohio,  335;  brief  hist,  of;  335,  note. 

Fort  Miami,  at  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph,  built  by  La  Salle,  89. 

Fort  Prudhomme,  on  the  Mississippi,  137,  145. 

Fort  Rosalie,  at  Natchez,  when  built,  242 ;  rebuilt,  284 ;  Pittman's  de- 
scription of  289,  note. 

Fort  St.  Claude,  on  Yazoo  River,  French  garrison  at  massacred  by  the 
Natchez  Indians,  283. 

Fort  Si.  Louis  of  Illinois,  when  built,  147 ;  decline  of,  195. 

Fort  St.  Louis  of  Texas,  1(>1  ;  destruction  of,  191. 

Fort  Louis  de  la  Mobile,  when  first  built,  224 ;  site  of  changed,  227. 

Fort  Ouatanon,  on  the  Wabash,  mention,  299,  303,  note. 

Fort  Toinbecb^,  on  the  Tombigbee  River,  built  by  Bienville,  291. 

Fox  River,  oi  Wisconsin,  discovered  by  Ni'^olet,  3(i;  mention,  51,  195. 

Foxes,  or  Rinards.     (See  Sacs  and  Foxes.) 

Fowls,  domestic,  among  the  southern  Indians,  38,  216. 

France,  New.     (See  New  France.) 

Francis  I.  of  France,  mention,  4,  7. 

Franciscan  friars,  96,  note. 

Fraser,  Lieutenant  Alexander,  associated  with  Croghan,  353;  he  descends 
the  Ohio  to  Illinois,  354 ;  is  buflfeted  by  the  Indians  at  Kaskaskia, 
and  flees  down  the  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans,  354. 

French-Canadian  population  at  the  beginning  of  long  war,  325. 

French  Commandants  at  the  Illinois,  tabV  of,  361. 

French  Colonists  in  Illinois  and  Louisiana,  general  description  of,  404. 

Frontenac,  Louis  de  Buade,  Count  de,  celebrated  governor  of  Canada, 
45 ;  he  sends  Joliet  to  explore  the  Mississippi,  46 ;  dispatch  of  re- 
lating to  his  discovery,  69 ;  erects  Fort  Frontenac  at  the  outlet  of 
Lake  Ontario,  79 ;  recommends  La  Salle  to  Colbert,  80 ;  indorses 
Tonty's  petition,  232 ;  expires  in  Quebec,  46. 


Gage,  General  Thomas,  liritish  commander,  proclamation  by  to  the  in- 
habitants of  Illinois,  361,  362,  note. 

Gayarr6,  Charles,  references  to  and  citations  from  his  History  of  Louisi- 
ana (3  vols.),  213,  noU,  219,  293,  note,  295-6,  notes,  312,  note,  35J-2,  notet, 
•  369,  379,  415. 

Gravier  Jacques,  one  of  the  missionary  founders  of  Kaskaskia,  198,  199. 

Green  Bay,  discovered  by  Nicolet,  36 ;  mission  station  at,  51,  61. 

Griffin,  construction  of  at  Niagara,  86  and  nole ;  lost  on  the  upper  lakes,  88. 

Growth  of  the  French  settlements  in  Illinois,  208,  271, 

Gulf  of  California,  mention,  59,  78. 

Gulf  of  Mexico,  long  a  closed  sea  to  the  French,  38,  154. 

Gulf  of  St.  Ijawrence,  explored  and  named  by  Jacques  Cartier,  5. 

Gumbos,  a  nickname  for  the  half-breetls  in  Missouri,  412,  note. 


Index. 


423 


ider  Colonel 

a  Fort  Char- 
Clark,  402. 
.  oi,  335,  wi^' 
i9. 

>ittman's  ile- 
lacred  by  the 


aged, 227. 

le,  291. 
tion,  51,  195. 


);V,  he  descends 
,  at  Kaskaskia, 

ir,  325. 

iptioii  of,  404. 
nor  of  Canada, 
dispatch  of  re- 
[t  the  outlet  of 
It,  80;  indorses 


by  to  the  in- 

Itory  of  Louisi- 
lo«e,  351-2,  not<;«, 

liiskia,  198,  199. 
151,01. 
Iipper  lakefl,  88. 


Iiirtier,  5. 


H.    - 

Halifax,  town  of,  British  fleet  sails  from  for  the  reduction  of  Louisburg, 
332. 

Havana,  Soto's  expedition  sails  from  to  Florida,  24 ;  taken  by  the  En- 
glish, 1)39 ;  restored  to  Spain,  352,  note;  French  state  prisoners  sent 
to  from  Louisiana,  376. 

Helena,  Arkansas,  mention,  59,  note,. 

Hennepin,  Father  Louis,  his  nativity,  96 ;  early  monastic  life  and  travels, 
97 ;  comes  as  a  IlecoUet  missionary  to  Canada,  98 ;  liis  active  life  at 
Quebec,  98;  joins  La  Salle's  expedition  to  the  West,  99;  visits  Niag- 
ara Falls,  99,  note ;  makes  a  journey  to  the  principal  village  of  the 
Senecas,  100;  embarks  on  the  Griflin,  100;  his  account  of  Fort 
Cr^ve-coeur,  101  ;  his  daring  canoe  vovage  up  the  MiH8i8sii)pi,  105; 
is  captured  by  a  party  of  the  Sioux  Indians,  106  ;  adventures  among 
the  Sioux,  107;  is  released  from  captivity,  108;  return  journey  to 
Canada  and  France,  109;  his  expulsion  from  France,  110;  with- 
draws into  Holland,  and  enters  the  service  of  William  IH.,  110; 
decease,  110;  review  of  his  writings.  111,  112;  his  conflicting  esti- 
mate of  La  Salle,  171. 

Henry  IV.  of  France,  issues  letters  patent  to  De  Monts,  10. 

Hiens,  one  of  the  conspirators  against  Morangetand  La  Salle,  107;  mur- 
ders Duhaut,  177. 

Huguenots,  9 ;  driven  by  persecution  from  France,  248. 

Huron,  Lake,  discovered  by  Champlain,  16. 

Huron  Indians,  mention,  16,  35,  39,  48,  109,  note. 


Iberville,  Pierre  Le  Moyne,  Sieur  de,  early  naval  career  of,  212 ;  his  colo- 
nizing expedition  to  the  Mississippi,  213,  214;  plants  a  colony  in 
Lower  Louisiana,  218;  revisits  his  colony,  220,  224;  decease  and 
character,  226. 

Illinois  Indians,  loose  confederations  of,  53;  meaning  of  the  word  Illini 
or  Illinois,  53;  they  are  invaded  by  the  Iroquois,  121,  122;  they  aid 
the  Frenc^h  in  the  Chickasaw  war,  292 ;  are  defeated  by  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes,  387  ;  Pittman's  notice  of,  394. 

Illinois  country,  explored  by  Joliet  and  Marquette,  53,  60;  military  oc- 
cupation of  by  I>a  Salle,  94;  a  dependency  of  Canada,  194;  a  part  of 
Louisiana,  233 ;  under  M.  Crozat,  234,  et  seq.;  under  Boisbriant  and 
the  C'onipany  of  the  West,  270;  under  the  lloyal  government,  288; 
under  the  English  sway,  384;  conquest  of  by  Col.  Clark,  402. 

Illinois  Kiver,  mention,  43,60,77,90,  105;  Kennedy's  voyage  on,  399; 

Inilay,  Capt.  Gilbert,  work  on  North  America,  399. 

India  Company,  Hoyal,  successor  to  the  Company  of  tlie  West,  272; 
surrender  of  the  company's  charter,  286. 

Indian  allies,  value  of  to  the  French  in  war,  326. 

Indian  colony  of  La  Salle  on  the  Illinois,  148. 

Tntendant,  office  of,  40,  note. 

Iroquois  (or  Five  Nations),  13 ;  army  of  invade  the  Illinois  country,  122 ; 


424 


Index. 


burninp;  of  the  great  town  of  the  Illinois,  124 ;  massacre  of  women 
and  children,  127. 

J. 

Jesuits,  their  first  appearance  in  Canada,  16;  missions  of  in  IllinoiK,  (ili, 
190,  1!)!>;  are  banished  from  Louisiana,  379. 

Jesuit  Order,  history  of,  I'SO,  S81 ;  suppressed  by  Pope  Clement  XIV., 
382;  revived  by  IMuH  VII.,  .'{82. 

Jesuit  Relations,  ;?>S;>. 

Johnson,  Clen.  Sir  William,  mention,  32(5,  330;  report  of,  348,  note. 

Joliet,  T.ouis,  comniisHioned  to  explore  the  Misnissippi  River,  46;  his 
birth  and  edncaticMi  at  (iueboc,  4() ;  is  first  sent  by  Talon  to  look  for 
copper  mines  at  Lake  Superior,  4();  with  Father  Marquette,  he 
rei'ches  the  Mississippi,  52 ;  descends  tnat  river  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
Arkansas,  51)  and  )m(c ;  returning,  he  ascends  the  Illinois,  60;  stops 
at  the  Indian  villages  en  route,  61  ;  he  loses  his  manuscrii)tK  in  the 
rapids  at  La  Chine,  67;  reports  his  discoveries  to  Gov.  Frontenac, 
67;  his  marriage,  68;  makes  a  trip  to  Hudson's  Bay,  68;  is  given 
the  Island  of  Anticosti,  68;  surveys  the  coast  of  Labrador,  68;  is 
granted  the  seigniory  of  "  Joliitte,"  6S ;  death  and  character,  68,  69. 

Joliet,  city  of  in  111.,  named  for  the  explorer,  69. 

Joutel,  Henri,  soldier,  accompanies  La  Salle's  expedition  to  Texas,  154  ; 
his  account  of  La  Salle's  assassination,  169;  his  Journal  Ilutorique 
of  the  expedition,  187. 

Juchereau,  Sieur  de,  a  Canadian  olhcer,  299,  300,  note. 

Juiitonville,  Sieur  Coulon  de,  killed  In  action  at  Little  Meadows,  324, 
and  note. 

K. 

Kankakee  (Te-a-ki-ki)  River,  a  constituent  branch  of  the  Illinois,  men- 
tion, 90,  135,  197,  note. 

Kappa,  or  Quappa,  a  noted  village  <  the  Arkansas  on  Lower  Missis- 
sippi, 58  note,  138,  183.  • 

Kaskaskia,  Indian  village  on  the  Illinois  River,  first  visited  by  Joliet  and 
^larquette,  60;  Mission  of  the  I.  (1  V.  founded  there  by  Father 
Marquette,  63;  re-established  by  Father  Allouez,  198;  removal  of 
the  mission  and  tribe  to  the  site  of  the  present  Kaskaskia,  199; 
early  history  of  the  mission  and  settlement  on  the  Missi88i})pi,  204; 
Charlvoix' visit  to,  209;  Pittman's  descrijition  of,  390;  subsequent 
decline  of  the  village,  403,  note. 

Kaskaskias,  a  leading  tribe  of  the  Illinois,  mention,  GO,  63,  196,  202,  209, 
290,  394. 

Kennedy,  Patrick,  his  journey  up  the  Illinois  River  in  search  of  copper 
mines,  399. 

Kerlerec,  M.  de,  governor  of  the  Province  of  Louisiana  (1753-1763),  312; 
ordered  to  return  to  PVance,  and  incarcerated  in  the  Bastile,  314 ; 
paper  money  issued  under  his  administration,  412. 
^Kingsford,  William,  references  to  his  History  of  Canada,  20,  67,  note, 
416,  note. 


'.^I^HJ  jVl»l,'A'.«v«iiiJl  'i-Hiifif, 


Index. 


425 


•  of  women 

Illinois,  (>!^, 
ment  XIV., 


S,  note. 
ivor,  4();  bis 
n  to  look  for 
iirqiu'tte,  he 
ii'inity  of  the 
jis,  60 ;  stops 
scripts  in  the 
J.  I'rontenac, 
,  m ;  is  fiiven 
)nulor,  (58;  is 
racter,  (38,  0«.). 

,o  Texas,  154; 
-nal  JH»torique 


vlcadows,  324, 

llinois,  nien- 

.ower  Missis- 

i)y  Joliet  and 
o  by  Fatlier 
;  r("nioval  of 
skaskia,  lUO ; 
isissippi,  204; 
;  subsetiuent 

101),  202,  209, 

k;h  of  copper 

[8-1763),  312; 
1  Bastile,  314 ; 

20,  67,  noU;, 


Kiskakons,  a  christianized  branch  of  the  Ottawa  Indians,  disinter  and 
remove  Marquette's  remains,  05. 

L. 

l.rfibrador,  visited  l)y  the  Cortereals  to,  3 ;  coast  of  surveyed  by  Joliet,  H8. 

Lu  liarre,  Le  Febvre  de,  governor  of  Canada  (1683-1085),  149;  he  de- 
deposes  La  Salle  from  the  command  of  Forts  Frontenac  and  St. 
Louis,  l.'>2. 

La  F?nissonicri',  Alplionee  de,  suceeeds  D'Arta^uette  as  commandant  at 
the  Illinois,  and  takes  part  in  tlie  second  ('hickasaw  wir,  2i»5. 

Lacl6(le,  Pierre  Ligucst,  })rincipal  founder  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  385 ; 
sketch  of,  ;5S5,  note. 

La  Forrest,  a  lieutenant  of  La  Salle,  118,  120,  15:i,  154,  105. 

Iva  Ilarpe,  J^crnurd  dc,  adviiturcH  of  in  the  southwest,  2()(),  2()! ;  is  sent 
by  Bienville  to  form  an  establisliment  on  the  Bay  of  St.  Bernard,  202. 

La  Ilontan,'  Arinand  Louisde  Delondane,  Baron  de,  a  noted  French  odi- 
cer  and  traveler,  50,  riote ;  his  curious  account  of  MichiliiiiackiMac,  100, 
note;  his  notice  of  the  priest  Cavelier  and  his  traveling  party,  180, 
not£. 

La  Motte,  de  Lusiere,  an  associate  of  La  Salle  in  his  first  great  exploring 
enterprise,  83,  85,  80. 

IjB  v^alle,  llobert  (kvelier  Sieur  de,  his  Norman  birth  and  parentage,  71  ; 
receives  his  education  from  the  .Jesuits,  71,  72;  emigrates  to  Canada, 
72;  founds  Tiachine,  above  Montreal,  72;  discovers  the  Ohio,  76;  se- 
(;ures  the  patronage  of  (Jov.  Frontenac,  78 ;  is  granted  the  seigniory 
of  Fort  Frontenac,  80;  builds  the  Griffin  on  the  Niagara,  86;  voy- 
ages with  her  through  the  upj)er  lakes,  87  ;  he  enters  the  country  of 
the  Illinois,  80;  difficulties  with  the  natives  and  his  nu'ii,  02;  builds 
Fort  Crc've-coeur  at  foot  of  I'eoria  Lake,  0.'!,  04;  sends  ll<;nnepin  to 
exi)lore  the  Upper  Mississippi,  05  ;  his  return  journey  to  Fort  Fron- 
tenac, 115;  second  expedition  to  the  West,  118;  its  failure,  120;  he 
negotiati's  with  the  Western  tribes,  131 ;  descends  the  Mississippi  to 
the  Chilf,  l.']0-141  ;  takes  possession  of  the  country  for  the  King  of 
France,  142;  erects  Fort  St.  Louis  on  the  Illinois,  147;  forms  an  In- 
dian colony  around  it,  148;  corresponds  with  (lov.  La  Barre,  140, 
150;  is  dismissed  from  his  command  ))y  that  functtionary,  152;  he  goes 
to  Old  F'rance,  153;  is  given  audience  by  the  King,  154;  sails  with 
a  colony  for  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  150;  kinds  at  .^Lltagorda 
Bay,  158;  builds  a  fort  there,  100;  wamlerings  in  t  lie  wilderness  of 
Texas,  102,  1()3;  sets  out  for  the  Illinois  and  Canada,  but  returns,  104; 
he  again  sets  forth  and  is  assassinated  on  the  way,  105;  analysis  of 
his  character,  171  et  seq.;  concealment  of  his  death,  183,  185;  de- 
struction of  his  colony,  101. 

La  Salle  Co.,  Illinois,  named  in  memory  of  the  great  explorer,  100. 

La  Tour,  early  French  engineer  in  Louisiana,  263. 

Lake  Michigan,  or  Lac  des  Illinois,  discovered  by  Nicolet,  35-6. 

Lake  Superior,  mention,  39,  40,  48. 


•Incorrectly  printed  La  Houtan,  in  note  on  page  99. 


426 


Index. 


Law,  John,  Scotch  financier  and  adventurer,  birth  and  education  of,  249; 
his  th30ry  of  banking,  249;  is  patronized  by  the  Duke  of  Orleans, 
250;  he  establishes  a  bank  in  Paris,  250;  his  Mississippi  scheme, 
251  ;  public  infatuation  thertat,  252;  progress  of  his  credit  system, 
253;  its  collapse,  257  ;  he  flees  from  France,  258  ;  dies  in  poverty  at 
Venice,  259. 

Lead  mines  in  Missouri,  worked  by  the  French,  239;  in  Illinois, 275  and 
note. 

League,  French,  length  of,  52,  7iot£. 

Le  Clercq,  Father  Cr^tien,  104,  note;  his  History  of  the  Establishment  Of 
the  Faith  in  New  France,  112,  note ;  his  account  of  La  Salle's  last  ex- 
pedition by  sea,  161,  ncte. 

Le  Clercq,  Father  Maximus,  RecoUet  missionary  in  Texas,  155,  192. 

Lesdigueres,  Duchesse  de,  mention,  211. 

Le  Su'  ur,  Pierre,  a  French  voyageur,  mention,  201,  .'300,  note. 

L6vis,  Chevalier  de,  successor  to  Montcalm,  338. 

Letters  patent  to  La  Salle,  81 ;  to  M.  Crozat,  234. 

Liotot,  surgeon,  and  one  of  La  Salle's  assassins,  170;  his  violent  death, 
177,  178  and  note. 

LoftuH,  Major  Arthur,  his  unsuccessful  attempt  to  ascend  the  Mississippi 
to  Fort  Cliartres,  352. 

Lord,  Captain  Hugh,  English  commandant  at  the  Illinois,  successor  to 
Wilkins,  398. 

Louisiana,  liower,  permanent  settlement  of  by  the  French,  212;  cession 
of  the  country  to  Spain,  304,  365. 

Louis  XIV.  of  France,  falls  heir  to  the  thror.e  at  the  age  of  five 
years,  246;  erects  Canada  into  a  royal  province,  19  ;  issues  patent  of 
nobility  to  La  Salle,  80;  demise  of,  246;  review  of  his  reign  and 
character,  247,  248. 

Louis  XV.,  cedes  Western  Louisiana  by  private  treaty  to  Spain,  339, 
363;  his  letter  concerning  tlK^  cession  to  Gov.  d'Abbadie,  365,  366. 

Louisburg,  fortress  of,  taken  by  the  English,  312 ;  second  siege  and  cap- 
ture of,  332,  3:53,  note. 

Loyola,  Ignatius,  originator  of  the  Order  of  Jesuits,  380. 


M. 

Macarty,  Chevalier  de,  nuijor-commuudant  at  the  Illinois  during  the 
rebuilding  of  Fort  Cliartres,  313;  mention,  324,  361. 

Major-commandants,  functions  of  the,  308.  '       , 

Manitou,  Indian  name  for  the  Deity,  51  and  nol/'. 

Maps,  Marquette's,  50,  62  ;  Joliet's,  67  and  note ;  Franquelin's  and  Henne- 
pin's, 9S ;  Delisle's,  99,  note. 

Marest,  Gabriel,  missionary  priest  at  Kaskaskia,  199 ;  he  transfers  the 
mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  from  the  Illinois  River  to  ihe 
site  of  the  jjresent  Kaskaslvia,  199-20:5;  extracts  from  his  cor- 
respondence, 205,  20a. 

Margry,  IMerre,  I'>ench  author,  references  to  his  works,  68,  76,  note, 
10-1-5,  votes,  151,  note,  191,  vide,  197,  vote. 


' .  < 


Index. 


427 


ion  of,  249; 
of  Orleans, 
)pi  scheme, 
dit  system, 
I  poverty  at 

lois,  275  and 


>lishment  Of 
lUe's  last  ex- 

,55,  192. 


iolent  death, 

le  Mississippi 

I,  successor  to 

,212;  cession 

age  of  five 
iues  patent  of 
liis  nngn  and 

|o  Spain,  339, 
]ie,  365,  3G6. 
iege  and  cap- 


daring  the 


1  and  Henne- 

transfers  the 
I  River  to  ihe 
|)ni    his  cor- 

l()8,  76,  noif, 


Marquette,  P^re  Jacques,  born  at  Laon,  France,  47  ;  he  enters  the  So- 
ciety of  Jesus,  and  is  ordained  to  the  priesthood,  47 ;  sails  as  a  mis- 
sionary to  Canada,  and  studies  the  Indian  languages  under  Father 
Dreuilletes,  47  ;  witli  Father  Dablon,  he  founds  the  mission  of  St. 
Mary  of  the  P'alls,  48 ;  iis  thence  sent  to  St.  Esprit  near  western  ex- 
tremity of  Lake  Superior,  48;  returning,  he  founds  the  mission  of 
St.  Ignace  at  Old  Mackinac.  49;  with  M.  Joliet,  he  discovers  and  ex- 
plores the  Mississipi>i  River,  oO-HO;  table  of  the  distances  traveled, 
61 ,  notr ;  his  journal  of  their  great  canoe  voyage,  61 ,  62  ;  he  establishes 
the  miBsion  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  on  the  Illinois  River, 
63;  sets  out  from  thence  on  his  return  to  St.  Iguace,  64;  dies  and 
is  buried  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Michiga?-  65;  removal  of  his 
remains  to  St.  Ignace,  65 ;  his  religiou.s  and  general  character,  66. 

Mascontins,  allied  tribe  of  the  Miamis,  51,  92. 

Massac,  or  Marsiac.     (See  Foit  Massac.) 

Mason,  E.  G.,  his  account  of  the  Kaskaskia  JMission,  200-203 ;  also  of  the 
ruins  of  Fort  Chartres,  31t). 

Maillet,  M.  Hypolite,  founds  French  village  on  Peoria  Lake,  401,  note. 

Membre,  Zenobius,  Recollet  friar  and  follower  of  La  Salle,  85,  87  ;  his 
description  of  the  Illinois  Indians,  103;  exciting  experience  with 
the  Iroquois,  124,  125  ;  he  perishes  at  Ft.  Louis  of  Texas,  192;  notice 
of  his  life,  192. 

Menard,  Father  Renu,  first  French  missionary  in  the  region  of  Lake 
Superior,  39  and  notf. 

Mermet,  Jean,  a  missionary  priest  on  the  Lower  Ohio,  300  and  note;  and 
an  associate  of  Father  Marest  at  Kaskaskia,  205. 

Meurin,  Sebastian  Louis,  last  Jesuit  missionary  in  the  Illinois,  391,  note. 

Mexico,  French  atte-  ipts  at  trade  relations  with,  240,  242. 

Miamis  Indians,  a  kindred  tribe  of  the  Illinois,  51,  132,  133,  299. 

Michilimackinac,  or  Mackinac,  49  and  note ;  mission  of  St.  Ignace  at,  49; 
visited  by  La  Salle  intheGritlin,  87;  described  by  Laliontan,  109,  note. 

Mills,  water,  at  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  271. 

Missionaries  in  Illinois  and  Louisiana,  Jesuits,  63,  194 ;  Recollets,  103, 
121  ;  Sulpitians,  393. 

Mississippi  Company,  Laws,  251,  252;  its  advantagv^s  to  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  250,  286. 

Mississippi  River,  Spanish  discovery  of  the,  24;  different  names  of,  28, 
note;  Frei.ch  discovery  and  exploration  of,  45. 

Missouri  River,  discovered  by  Joliet  and  Marquette,  56;  said  to  have 
been  first  explored  by  La  Ilontan,  56,  note. 

Missouri  Indians,  allies  of  the  French,  destroy  expedition  of  the  Spau- 
iarils  from  New  Mexico,  268. 

Mobile  River,  visited  by  De  Soto,  26;  French  fort  on,  224. 

Mohegan  Indians,  band  settle  at  Ft.  Miami,  130;  party  of,  follow  LaSalle 
to  the  outlet  of  the  Mississippi,  135. 

Monso,  a  Mascoutin  chief,  intrigues  with  the  Illinois  against  Im  Salle,  92. 

Montcalm,  Louis  Joseph,  Marquis  de,  captures  Fort  Ontario  and  Fort 
William  Henry,  330,  331 ;  defeats  Abercrombie  at  Ticonderoga,  333; 


'li! 


!i  I 


ill 


liii 


428 


Index. 


is  vanquished  by  "Wolf  at  Quebec,  337, 338 ;  sketch  of  his  brilliant  ca- 
reer, 340,  note. 

Montmafjny,  Charles  Huault  de,  succesds  Champlain  in  the  government 
of  the  Canadian  colony,  18. 

Montreal,  when  settled,  22  ;  religious  origin  and  early  annals  of,  22,  23. 

Moranget,  i^ieur  de,  nephew  of  La  Salle,  155  ;  murder  of,  107. 

Moses,  John,  History  of  Illinois,  references  to,  (;2,  207,  394,  note,  395,  398, 
399. 

Mound  Riiildcrs,  ancient,  33,  2S."),  note. 

Morris,  Captain  Thomas,  adventures  with  the  Indians,  351,  2b-  and  note. 

Muscoso,  Luis  de,  lieutenant  and  successor  to  De  Soto,  31 ;  conducts  the 
rf'maius  of  Soto's  expedition  to  Panuco,  Mexico,  32. 

N. 
Nadouepsiouxs.    (See  Sioux.) 

Narvaez,  Paniphilio  de,  a  Spanish  adventurer  in  Florida,  25. 

Natchez  Indians,  visited  by  La  Salle,  140;  their  strange  history,  277-279 ; 

they  massacre  the  French  at  Fort  Rosalie,  282;  war  with,  284 ;  ex- 
•  termination  of  the  nation,  285. 
Natchitoches,  post  of,  when  established,  245;  mention,  260,  378. 
Natchitoches  Indians,  mention,  188,  242,  2()0,  285;  New  Chartres,  when 

built,  313,  314. 
New  Orleans,  origin  of,  246 ;  founded  by  Bienville,  263;  named  for  the 

Duke  of  Orleans,  263 ;  visited  by  Charlevoix  (1721),  263,  264 ;  is  made 

by  Gov.  Bienville  the  capital  of  Louisiana,  164. 
New  France,  a  name  originally  bestowed  by  the  navigator,  Verruzano, 

upon  the  north-eastern  coast  of  North   America,  13;  History  of. 

(See  Charlevoix.) 
Niagara  Falls,  Hennepin's  visit  to  and  description  of,  99  and  note. 
Nicanope,  a  chief  of  the  Peorias,  92. 
Nicolet,  Jean,  early  life  of,  among  the  Ottawas  and  Nipissings,  34;  his 

voyage  of  discovery  in  the  North-west,  35,  36;  he  marries  an  adopted 

daughter  of  Champlain,  37 ;  is  drowned  in  the  St.  Lawrence,  38. 
Nipissing  Lake,  discovered  by  Champlain,  16. 
Nonville  (or  Denonville),  Jacques  Rene  de  Brisay,  Marquis  de,  governor 

of  Canada  (1085-1089),  229,  231  and  note. 
Northmen,  in  North  America,  1  and  2. 

Nouvellc  France,  a  name  applied   to  all  the  French-Canadian  coun- 
try, 13,  19. 
Nova  Scotia.     (See  Acadia.)  »  <      • 

Ohio  River,  discovery  of  by  La  Salle,  76,  77. 

Onondagas,  a  tribe  of  Iroquois,  70,  79,  123. 

Onanghisse,  a  Pottawatomie  sachem,  noted  saying  of,  129. 

Ortiz,  Juan,  interpreter  for  De  Soto,  25,  29. 

O'Reilly,  Don  Alexandro,  Spanish  military  governor  of  Louisiana,  373 ; 
sketch  of,  note ;  his  proclamation  of  amnesty,  375  ;  he  punishes  the 
revolutionary  leaders  and  reorganizes  the  government  of  Louisiana, 
376,377.      :._.-.-;:     : 


his  brilliant  ca- 
he  government 

rials  of,  22,  23. 
167. 
t,  note,  395,  3J»8, 


I,  252  and  note. 
;  conducts  the 


Index, 


429 


itory,  277-279 ; 
with,  284 ;  ex- 

),  378. 
hartres,  when 

amed  for  the 
,  264 ;  is  made 

ir,  Verrazano, 
i;  History  of. 

d  note. 

sings,  34 ;  his 
KS  an  adopted 
rence,  38. 

de,  governor 


adian  coun- 


lisiana,  373 ; 
)uni8hes  the 
f  Louisiana, 


'^ylrench  explorers  to  the  Foxes.  131. 
Paris,  Treatv  of  ^4(» .  ,  ' 

7o,  note,  77,  ]-J0  note   !'>7  ,-,       ^''^^ ''*"'!  Quotations  f-    -,,  i  • 

p:r,nl,ri;1^■■■™-  -"  '"•  '"•  '"■  '"•  -  -■  --r' 

PeDsacola,  Flor  <l„   '.„  .  '  """-"yed 

'otake,,,  a„d°;,.r„ir;S'",'  "'^  ""  ■'>«'"'a^"».  214-  i,  ,-,  ,  , 
Knt-lish  i...  ,1,      '"'""''"'  I'y  tlic.  Frcn.'li    2117.  .        .'        '  'a''*'". 

I'-Haiat.'la't  ™'^-^[f;;.?;-r«-"*      •  ''■""'^'' '°  ""^ 

Peorvf,L,„.  '■"■"'^*->«-  or  ..„,„,,,„, 

notice  oui„    .i,r,";.  t""";:"  ""'I  "X'«.t  of.  -,,,  ,„,.   „,     ,       . 
Peoria  Villas,,  K, ;'*;-*•  '"."""lj"«  visit  .„  W        '   '^'""•'"•oix' 

promote,!  to  tl,e  rank  of  uZ,:      ,"""*■'  "'"'  -''atfhra  war  07-    ?' 
P;a„k,«l,aw,,  village  „f  „„    , ''    .-''"""J-^''"""!.  -'S8.  ""'  '■ '  ■  " 

phS:^::;:'^:;;;:':;;:;:-, 

from  I,i8  account  of       ''"..'""^'"•■'•'■■'""■iJa  (176.31  3,9.  .  , 
390-3!)j.  '"  "'"  ^'■'-'"oh  settlements  on  tl  L   a'^'-    .'"'■"^'» 

Pontchartrain,  Count  ,1,.  1,>„„,„  „  .   .  ""'"^'P"'' 

'o  the  aimlication  ef  h.         """'»'<■>■  of  colonics   2»0.  l,.- 
Louisiani  V  °"        ""«"™°'  '»"'"'™  fro.n  Ca;^i^  ^^^^     - 

Pontiac,  celebrated  Ottawa  cl.i.t  ■  . 

ai::ir.re  ?''p"'^^"^^  --""rs.:\t™' ^^'-^  «^^ 

Detroit  -^4..        *,  '"'  '^-^^  '''  '■'f?.;  uns„ccessfnl    ",   ^"^'^^y  «»d  war 
-uetroit,  34f);  capture  of  other  Wo<.tJ  '"^^''^^^  '"ind  siege  of 

— ...  coione,  c:;sar:;t^t,^,::;:^t^3 


«f^ 


n 


430 


Index. 


i 


speeches  at  Detroit  and  Oswego,  359,  360 ;  retires  to  the  shades  of 

the  Maumee,  HGO ;  his  lust  visit  to  the  Illinois,  386 ;  is  murdered  Ikjf 

a  Kaskap'aa  Indian  at  Cahokia,  Illinois,  and  huried  by  Captain  St. 

Ange  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  387  and  note. 
Population  (foreign)  oi  Illinois  at  the  time  of  the  British  occupation,  389. 
Population  of  the  province  of  Louisiana  at  the  beginning  of  the  Spanish 

rule,  377,  378. 
Pottawatomie  Indians,  first  visited  by  Nicolet,  37;  mention,  88,  128. 
Prairie  du  Chien,  village  of,  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  52,  note. 
Prairie  du  Pont,  a  suburb  of  Cahokia,  394. 
Prairie  du  Kocher,  a  village  in  vicinity  of  Fort  Chartres,  276 ;  Pittman's 

account  of,  391,  nolr. 
Prudhomme,  Pierre,  with  La  Salle  on  the  Mississippi,  137;  fort  named 

for,  137. 

Q. 

Quebec,  city  of,  site  first  visited  b)'  Cartier,  5  ;  founded  by  Cham  plain, 
13;  surrendered  to  the  English  under  Captain  Kirk,  17;  restored  to 
the  French,  18;  faihire  of  Sir  William  Pliipps'  attack  upon,  20; 
stone  fortifications  at,  21  ;  the  city  is  taken  by  the  English  under 
Wolfe,  337,  338 ;  unsuccessful  efforts  of  the  French  to  retake  the 
citadel,  338. 

"Quebec  Bill,"  its  efTects  upon  the  French  colonists. 

Quints,  bay  of  on  Ontario  Lake,  seat  of  a  Sulpitian  mission,  73  and  note. 

Quinipissas  Indians  (the  Bayagoulas  of  Iberville  and  Bienville),  La 
Salle's  experience  with,  141,  144;  Tonty  leaves  a  letter  with  one  of 
their  chiefs,  182,  216. 

R. 

Randolph  County,  Illinois,  ruins  of  Fort  Chartres  in,  317. 

Rasles,  Sebastian,  a  noted  Jesuit  missionary  in  Illinois  and  Maine,  198. 

Red  River,  of  Louisiana,  discovered  by  the  Spaniards,  31. 

Renault,  Philip,  Francois  de,  director-general  of  the  mining  operations 
of  the  Mississippi  Company,  274;  he  founds  the  village  bearing  his 
name,  275. 

Reynolds,  John,  Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,  references  to  and  quota- 
tions from,  317,  335,  note,  346,  note,  394,  407,  note,  414,  note. 

Ribaut,  Jean,  attempts  to  plant  a  Huguenot  colony  in  East  Florida,  9. 

Ribourde,  Gabriel  de  la,  a  Recollet  friar  with  La  Salle  in  Illinois,  84, 101, 
104;  is  slain  by  a  scouting  party  of  Kickapoos,  126. 

Richelieu,  Cardinal,  organizes  the  company  of  "  One  Hundred  Asso- 
ciates," 17;  charter  of,  when  abandoned,  19. 

Rio  del  Norte,  or  Rio  Grande,  reached  and  crossed  by  St.  Denis,  243. 

Rocheblave,  Philippe  Francois  de  Rastel  de,  commands  for  the  British 
at  Fort  Gage,  399;  is  sent  a  prisoner  to  Virginia  by  Col.  Clark,  472. 

Rogers,  Major  Robert,  takes  military  possession  of  Detroit,  343 ;  and  of 
other  western  posts,  345. 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  devotion  of  the  French  colonists  to,  414  and  note. 

Rosalie.     (See  Fort  Rosalie.) 

Ryswick,  Treaty  of,|212. 


Index. 


431 


!  BhadeB  of 
udered  by 
Captain  St. 

pation,389. 
the  Spanish 

88, 128.  , 

ite. 

>;  Pittman's 
fort  named 


r  Chaiuplain, 
' ;  restored  to 
ck  upon,  20; 
liiglish  under 
to  retake  the 


n,  73  and  note. 

pienville),  La 

r  with  one  of 


Maine,  198. 

Ing  operations 
^e  bearing  his 

\o  and  quota- 

Florida,  9. 
Ilinois,  84, 101, 

lindred  Asso- 

)eni8,  243. 
[r  the  British 

i\.  Clark,  472. 
I,  343  ;  and  of 

414  and  not^. 


Sacs,  or  Sauks,  and  Foxes,  mention,  36,  131,  2(J9. 

Sangamon  River,  mention,  400  and  note.  .    *  - 

Santa  F^,  New  Mexico,  when  Kcttled,  267,  note. 

Sault  de  Ste.  Marie,  iiiiHsion  established  at  by  the  Jenuits,  48. 

Sauvolle— M.  de  Sauvolle  de  la  Villantry— a  brother  or  associate  of  D'lber- 
ville.  and  first  colonial  governor  in  I^ouisiana,  213,  219;  his  early- 
death  at  Fort  Biloxi,  2l'3. 

Senat,  a  Jesuit  Father  and  volunteer  in  D'Artaguette's  southern  expe- 
dition, L'Oi.' ;  lu'  is  martyred  at  the  stake  by  the  Chiekasaws,  294. 

Shawiiees,  rcKtlcss  character  of,  56,  note. 

Shea,  John  (iilmary,  references  to  and  quotations  from  his  Avorks,  12, 
note,  39,  note,  64,  (to,  76,  noit;  104,  note,  113,  note,  163,  note,  197,  note,  228; 
decease  of,  416,  note. 

Ship  Island,  first  landing-place  of  Iberville's  colony,  214. 

Sioux  Indians,  4S,  1(I6  and  note. 

Slaves,  Negro,  introduced  inu  '  ouisiana  by  Crozat,  238;  number  of  at 
the  close  of  the  French  rww.,  337. 

Soto,  Hernando  dii,  Spanish  discoverer  of  the  Mississippi,  24;  his  re- 
markable expedition  through  Florida,  24-32. 

Starved  Kock,  legend  of,  387. 

Stirling,  Captain  Thomas,  takes  Brirish  possession  of  Fort  Chartres,  360; 
what  became  of  him,  394,  note. 

Stoddard,  Major  Amos,  317  and  note. 

St.  Anthony's  Falls,  discovered  and  named  by  Hennepin,  107;  descrip- 
tion of,  107,  108,  note.. 

St.  Cosme,  Jean  Francois  Buisson  de.  a  missionary  priest  at  the  Natchez, 
200 ;  sketch  of,  201 ,  note. 

St.  Croix,  or  St.  Charles,  a  tributary  of  the  St.  Lawrence  at  Quebec, 
5,  7,  12. 

St.  Francis  Xavier,  name  of  the  .lesuit  mission  on  Green  Ray,  51,  61. 

St,  Denis,  or  Denys,  Louis  Juchereau  de,  his  adventurous  overland  jour- 
ney to  Mexico,  242-244 ;  appointed  commandant  at  the  post  of  Natch- 
itoches, 244  ;  skiitch  of,  245,  note. 

Ste.  Genevieve,  ^lissouri,  when  settled,  306. 

St.  Louis  Missouri,  when  and  by  whom  founded,  385  and  not^. ;  early  his- 
tory of  the  village,  388. 

St.  Lusson,  Simon  Francois  Daumont  de,  sent  by  Talon  on  a  mission  to 
the  upper  lake  region,  40 ;  he  holds  an  important  conference  with 
the  North-western  tribes,  41,  42. 

St,  Peter's  ( Minnesota)  River,  French  fort  erected  on  by  I>e  Sueur,  221 ,  note. 

St,  Philippe,  a  small  village  ii'  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Chartres,  275, 

St,  Pierre,  Le  Gardeur  de,  commanding  officer  at  Fort  mr  la  riviere  au 
Boeuf,  322 ;  his  letter  of  reply  to  Governor  Dinwiddle,  322,  323. 

Sugar-cane,  when  introduced  into  Louisiana,  297. 


I 


432 


Index.   . 


T. 

Talon,  Jean  Baptiste,  first  intendant  of  Canada  under  the  government 
of  the  crown,  20;  slight  sketch  of,  40,  nnte ;  he  recommends  the  ap- 
pointment of  Joliet  to  explore  the  Mississippi,  46. 

Taensas  In<lian8,  a  kindred  tribe  of  the  Natchez,  La  Salle's  arrival  among, 
189;  their  habitations,  life,  and  worship,  139,  140. 

Taniaroas,  one  of  the  five  tribes  of  the  Illinois,  mention,  105,  127;  Jesuit 
nii.ssion  established  among.  207. 

Tampa  Bay,  Florida,  landing-place  of  De  Soto,  25. 

Tojas  Indians,  name  of  Texas  derived  from,  104,  note. 

Texas,  country  of  claimed  by  Spain,  190;  unsuccessful  attempts  of  the 
French  to  plant  colonies  in,  194,  202. 

Timber,  kinds  of  most  abundant  in  Illinois,  400,  note. 

Tomhigbee  River,  ascended  by  Bienville  in  his  expedition  against  the 
Chickasaws,  291  ;  also  by  Governor  de  Vaudreuil,  298. 

Tonty,  Henri  de,  lieutenant  of  La  Salle,  83;  his  early  military  career,  84  ; 
accompanies  La  Salle  to  New  France  (1077),  85;  superintends  the 
construction  of  the  Crrilliu,  80  ;  .sails  with  his  chief  to  Mackinac,  87; 
goes  thenco  to  S;iult  de  Ste.  Marie,  8S;  arrives  in  the  Illinois,  88;  \a 
left  in  command  at  Fort  Cr^vc-coeur,  il5;  his  perilous  encountar 
with  the  Iroquois,  123;  escapes  with  his  party  to  the  Pottawatomies, 
128,  129;  he  descends  the  Mississippi  with  La  S;Ule,  \\)b,  et  scq.;  as- 
sists in  construciing  Fort  St.  Louis  on  the  Illinois  iviver,  147;  is 
given  charge  of  the  fort  by  La  Salle,  but  superseded  in  conniiand 
by  De  Baugis,  152;  afterward  reinstated,  182;  his  river  voyage  to  the 
Gulf  in  search  of  La  Salle,  182;  establisheKu  post  on  the  Arkan,m.s, 
182;  heroic  attempt  to  succor  the  remains  of  La  Salle's  Texan  col- 
ony, 188;  is  continued  in  connuand  at  the  Illinois,  194,  195;  finally 
joins  D'IberviUe  on  the  Lower  Mississippi,  221  ;  is  sent  thence  on  u 

,  mission  to  the  Chickasaws,  22S ;  dii>s  at  Fort  Louis,  on  the  Mobile, 
228;  summary  of  his  character,  229;  printed  memoirs  of,  230;  his 
petition  to  (/Ount  Pontchartrain,  231. 

Tonty,  Alphonse  de,  brother  of  Henri,  229. 

Trois  Kivieres,  town  on  the  St.  Lawren('(>,  founded  by  Chami;Iaiii,  18, 
mention,  37,  47, 

Tunica  Bend,  scene  of  Major  Loftus'  attack  by  Tunica  Indians,  ;152. 

Tuscarora  Indians,  a  sixtii  iribe  of  the  Iroquois  nation,  320,  note, 

U. 

Ulloa,  Don  Antonio  de,  first  Spanish  governor  sent  to  Louisiana,  371  ; 
letter  of  to  the  Superior  Council,  371  ;  his  expulsion  from  the  prov- 
ince, 373. 

Ucita,  an  Indian  town  on  Tampa  Bay,  Florida,  25. 

Utica,  Illinois,  mention,  140,  190. 

Utrect,  Treaty  of,  21. 

-  -     V.        - -  ■       ■ 

Vaca,  Cabeca,  or  Cabeza  de,  an  early  Spanish  wanderer  in  Florida,  29  and 

note. 
Vaudreuil,  I'ierre  Franci)is  de  Kigau<l,  Mrinpiis   le,  gover-ior  of  Louisi- 


i.i>Bte  i<  jyiMiji  Qgiilimil  - 


Index. 


433 


)vernment 
ids  the  ap- 

val  among, 

127 ;  Jesuit 

iipts  of  the 

agaiust  tlie 

•y  career,  84 ; 
rintcmls  the 
ku'kinac,  87; 
lUnois,  8S ;  is 
us  iMH'.ountsr 
.)ttawatomiefl, 
::,o,  etsfq.;  aa- 
iUver,  U7 ;  is 
in  connuaml 
voyage  to  the 
the  Arkansas, 
l'.'b  Texan  col- 
4,  nt,-)-,  finally 
t  thence  on  a 
,n  the  Mobile, 
,v  of,  230 ;  his 

;;hauii;laiii,  18, 

liiins,  352. 
lo,  note. 


Louisiana,  371  ; 
liom  the  prov- 


ll'lorida,  2i)  and 
iMor  of  Louiai- 


ana  (1742-1753),  200;  prosperity  of  the  province  under  his  admin- 
istration, 297  ;  he  is  promoted  to  the  governorship  of  Canada,  312; 
jealouay  and  contentions  with  (xeneral  Montcalm,  .''',  note ;  charges 
preferred  ag  linst  him  by  friends  of  the  latter,  on  which  he  is  tried 
and  acquitted,  340,  341,  note ;  death  of  in  Paris,  Ibid. 

Vega,  (iarcilaRSO  de  la,  a  Spanish  historian  of  De  Soto's  Expedition,  30,  33, 
notr. 

Venango,  Indian  village  and  military  post  on  the  Alleghany  River, 
321,350. 

Verrazano,  Juun,  a  celebrated  Florentine  navigator;  early  voyage  of  dis- 
covery to  North  America,  4. 

Vexilla,  or  rcriUa  reyiii  jirodctoit,  iirst  (tie  of  grand  Latin  hynm,  144,  198. 

Vicanque,  ancient  Indian  town  on  the  upp  v  ^  ters  of  the  Arkan- 
sas, 29. 

Vincennes,  Jean  Raptiste  BisHot  de.     (See  1\     'iiT>".'i,nes.) 

Vincennes,  Indiana,  beginning  of,  299;  early  hisiory,  301,  302;  visited 
by  Croghau,  303,  note. 

Virginia,  Illinois  made  a  county  of,  402. 

W. 

Wabash  River,  when  French  posts  first  established  on,  299. 

Washington,  (ieorgo,  mission  to  the  h('a<hvat('rs  of  the  Ohio,  321  ;  sur- 
renders Fort  Necessity,  325;  gallant  conduct  at  Braddock's  de- 
feat, 328. 

Wars  of  the  French  with  the  Spaniards,  205-2(18;  with  the  Natchez, 
277-285;  with  the  Chickasaws,  290-29S;  with  the  English,  20,  312, 
319-339;  Pontiac's  war,  34()-3(;0. 

West,  Company  of  the,  when  organized,  252;  operations  of  in  Louisi- 
ana and  Illinois,  259,  571 ;  charter  of  surrendered  to  the  crown,  28(i; 
benefits  of  its  sway,  2S7. 

Willian)  III.  of  England,  sends  two  vessels  to  explore  the  outlet  of  the 
:\[ississippi,  113,220. 

Winnebago  Indians,  a  branch  oi'  the  Sioux  or  Dakota  nation;  Nicolet's 
visit  to  and  account  of,  31);  mention,  41. 

Wilkins,  liieutenant-C'olonel  John,  succeeds  Colonel  Reed  as  English 
conunandant  at  the  Illinois,  395;  account  of  his  administration, 
395-39S. 

Will  of  La  .Salle,  134,  note. 

Wolfe,  General  James,  distinguishes  himself  at  the  reduction  of  Louis- 
burg,  33(1;  his  8i(>ge  of  Quebec,  337;  dies  on  the  field  of  battle,  338. 

Wolfe  and  Montcalm  Monument,  341,  note. 

Wolfe's  column,  Ibid.  • 

Y. 

Yazoo  River,  I>e  Soto  winters  at  village  on,  27  ;  Frencli  Fort  on,  283. 
Yalobusha  Hiver,  in   Xorthern  Missi;-ifiii)pi,  r-iidczvous  of  DWrlaipietto 
in  his  unfortunate  expuilition  against  the  Chickasaws,  292. 

,    •     ■"     ■  FINIS. 


